


Heavy Lies The Crown

by Girlobsessed21



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst, Arranged Marriage, Cheating, Darkish!Clarke, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Forbidden Love, Magic, Mystery, Prince!Bellamy, Slow Burn, Sort Of, Violence, bittersweet romance, this gets quite dark
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-25
Updated: 2020-04-11
Packaged: 2020-09-26 14:10:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 15
Words: 47,214
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20390986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Girlobsessed21/pseuds/Girlobsessed21
Summary: Bellamy is an elf, high prince of the Arkadian Island. When Prince Roan of Fay Grove and his fiancé lady Clarke disappear two weeks before their wedding to an arranged marriage, he must find them to protect their reign. But, he gets a little more than he bargained for when he meets the fay girl. She inspires, puzzles, defies and saves him in more ways than one. Maybe he likes it, but maybe they are both set to marry other people, and maybe there are strong laws about no relationships between different kinds.





	1. A chip in the crown

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, I'm back with a long fic which I'm very nervous and very excited about. It's fantasy, something I've never written before but it's been sitting with me for quite some time. All of the chapters are outlined and six completely written, so updates will be every Sunday for now, maybe later I'll update twice a week.

Chapter 1

Next to Octavia, Bellamy strode home along the snowline of the woods, giggling happily at the joke his sister had just told. It was late in the afternoon, the sun a mere skittle of orange beyond the canopy of mostly bare Oak trees. A stark chill wafted through the air, leading him to pull his coat tighter, though the joy he felt with Octavia was all the warmth he needed. Everyone they passed on the trail leading into Sanctum, greeted and seeing the bliss among his people was heartening.

The Blakes had been ruling the Arkadian Island in fairness and equality for centuries. They had firm yet rational laws in place which kept the peace and traitors were dealt with justly. His mother, Queen Aurora, was well known for her determination and kindness, and once his inauguration took place, he could only hope to fill half her shoes.

Their island comprised of many different species; they were the elves, who populated the biggest and capital district called Alpha Hills. Fays, hobbits, immortals, wizards, witches, and even some humans lived among them. All creatures had their own regions, Fay Grove, Trivial Peak, Behemoth Bode, Mystic Cove, and the Arkadian Forest, still, everyone was welcome in any part of the island. Each village had a leader, considered high ladies and lords while every district was ruled by a royal family of its kind. However, the Blakes reigned over everything and everyone.

The species were considered equals, though one very specific rule had existed for all of time. No kinds were allowed to form romantic or sexual relationships outside of their own. It was made to ensure bloodlines remained pure and procreation consistent. Most marriages were arranged anyway, especially within higher classes of society.

Bellamy knew his romantic fate had been planned for him as well. He didn’t know who the future Mrs. Blake might be, yet they were expected to get married before he became king. Even if he didn’t like the idea, there was no point in arguing the matter since that was the norm expected of a well-rounded leader.

“Hey, what do you say we stop by the cafe and have some wine?” Octavia suggested as they came into the city.

“Sure, I could use some letting loose.” He kicked at a rock in the road.

“Ha.” She gave him a stern eye. “Thinking about your impending marriage again, huh?”

He paused, scratching the back of his neck with one hand. “What if I don’t like her?”

“I get that. You know you could just ask Mom if you can choose your own wife. I know arranged marriages are customary but I’m sure it’s not set in stone.”

A spark of hope surged through him; his mother had always listened to reason. “Yeah, maybe I will.”

“Any girl would fall at her feet to marry you, I’ve heard them talk.”

Unbidden, his mouth pulled up. “Is that right? And what do they say?”

Octavia fluttered her eyelids mockingly and with a much higher than normal pitch, she said, “Have you guys seen how good Bellamy looks? With his tall, tan muscles. Oh, I wanna run my hands through those dark, wild curls, not to mention his sharp jaw.” His sister rolled her eyes. “And those mysterious eyes, I bet he knows exactly how to show a girl-”

“Hm-mm.” Bellamy cleared his throat. “Okay, O, I get the picture.”

She chuckled. “It’s funny, really.”

They walked through Sanctum to the cafe closest to home, talking and laughing with almost no cares in the world. Alpha Hills was divided into a number of villages and Sanctum considered the central city. It had the biggest market with the most beautiful buildings and landmarks. After two glasses of wine, they made their way to the palace. Stepping through the gates, a cold shudder ran up his spine. The air had turned miserable and ominous; the guards were whispering among themselves, with no visible smiles.

The palace wasn’t what one would expect it to be. It did not resemble historic Scotland castles or anything out of a fairy tale. Built on the ocean separating the island from human civilizations, surrounded by large stone walls. Two stories of grey rock, mostly rectangular in shape with porches, balconies and stunning green gardens all around. In summer times, reading outside was his favorite pastime. It was warm and inviting with no towers or anything exclusive to royalty.

As he stepped into the foyer, he called for his mother.

“She’s in her study,” Monty, his trusted advisor, and best friend said.

Bellamy ran up the stairs, down the hall, and knocked on the door. “Mom, can I come in?” He heard two female voices seeming to argue.

“Come in, Bellamy.” He entered, cautious as to what he would find. Two of the walls consisted of nothing but books, the other, soft yellow covered with art. A studiously crafted wooden desk on one side of the room with a similar fashion small conference table on the opposite end where he spotted his mother in conversation with the fay queen, Nia.

“Your majesty,” he greeted, bowing his head. The queen’s presence was perplexing; they were all set for their trip to Fay grove in a little over a week to attend Prince Roan’s wedding.

“Your highness,” she returned with a single nod and her signature distasteful expression.

“Bellamy, please, have a seat.” His mother gestured to the seat next to her across from Queen Nia.

“Thank you.” He sat down. “To what do we owe the pleasure?”

Both women stilled. Aurora rested her chin atop folded hands, held up by her elbows. Strands of long dark hair fell into her still beautiful face, while her eyes revealed concern when Nia’s morphed from obnoxious to pained. “It’s my son, he’s disappeared.”

Bellamy frowned; in the time of his mother’s ruling, there had been no instances of kidnapping. “I’m so sorry, when last was he seen?”

“Two days ago. The high lady he was betrothed to have gone missing too. Less than two weeks before the wedding.”

Instantly, he felt the need to reassure both himself and the least liked leader of the island. “Perhaps they decided to elope?”

“Elope?” Nia’s eyes widened, her nostrils flaring. “Your highness, this is a serious matter. I can assure you that my son would never do something so irresponsible. I’ve heard rumors in Fay grove about the wildness of the high lady Clarke but I refused to believe them. If you do not care to help me find him, you leave me no choice but to question your reign in a vote of no confidence.”

The threat was so staggering, Bellamy nearly fell out of his chair. He had always known the fay queen wanted their throne at the top of the island yet using her son’s disappearance as a means was disgraceful. Curtly, he saved himself. “Sorry, your majesty, of course Roan wouldn’t. I promise you I will do whatever it takes to find him and if I don’t, you can challenge our reign. It’s our duty to protect, and that’s what I’ll do.”

Aurora squeezed the queen’s hand awkwardly. “You see, Nia, if Bellamy says he’ll find them, he will.”

The fay queen nodded. “Very well, Prince Bellamy, you have until the day before the wedding.”

He gritted his teeth, knowing this would be one of the hardest tasks he’d ever had to carry out but as always, he’d do anything for his people. “Agreed.”

Queen Nia said goodbye and disappeared into the hall, accompanied by her guards and his mother. He was still sulking in his hands when Octavia came strolling through the door. She had since changed out of her dress into black tights and a comfortable shirt. “What’s going on, Bell. Why is Queen Nia here?”

“Roan’s gone missing!”

“What?” His sister fell into a frantic pace, raking both hands through her long dark hair. Her big blue eyes seemed slightly murderous.

They knew Roan well. When they were kids, they used to play together whenever they visited but as they grew older hide-and-seek turned into stealing wine from the cellars, underhandedly smoking in quiet corners of the garden and fantasizing about girls and sex. Of course, Octavia wasn’t around for the fantasy part.

“We have to find him or Nia will challenge our reign.”

She shook her head with a slight mocking grin. “How can a guy as nice as Roan have been raised by a bitch like her?”

“O,” Bellamy warned. “You know mom’s rules. We respect all our fellow-royalty.”

“I’m so glad I won’t be queen. I wasn’t meant to follow rules.”

“Well, if something happens to me, you will be. It’s an honor, Octavia.”

Octavia flashed him a grimace. “Then you better not die because I’m not the responsible one in this family, big brother. Maybe Roan ran away from it too, maybe he didn’t want to marry Clarke?”

Bellamy shook his head. “No, that’s definitely not it. Roan spoke very highly of her. He said she’s beautiful, smart, and very strong-willed.”

“You’ve never met her?” His sister frowned.

“Nope, have you?”

Clenching her jaw, like she was caught stealing cookies, she said, “Yeah, at this underground club once. A year or so ago, when we were in Fay grove. After you went to bed, Roan snuck me to a party.”

He glared at her, though there was no real heat behind it. Bellamy knew all about his sister’s mischievous streaks _and_ her tiptoeing trips to Gabriel’s quarters every night. “Yeah? So, what’d you think of her?”

“She seems nice enough. Friendly. Wasn’t at all intimidated by the Arkadian princess which I can respect. But I think she likes girls.”

“What?” Bellamy wiped a hand over his face. “Then that’s it. It must be terrible not being able to love who you want given the arranged marriages.”

“Those fucking rules are stupid, Bell.” Octavia stomped her foot against the hardwood floor. “I hope you change them once you’re the king.”

“Arranged marriages aren’t laws, O, royal and other upper-class families enforce them to continue their strong lineages but I agree, it is stupid. Okay, so we’ll start with Murphy and Emori, the witches should know the most. If they can’t help us, we’ll go from clan to clan. We leave at dawn. I’ll find Raven, Monty, and Harper, and we’ll meet you and Gabriel in the dining hall to discuss?” He couldn’t help the upward curl of his lip when he mentioned her secret lover’s name.

Through narrowed eyes, she stared at him. “You know?”

He chuckled slightly. “What, you take me for a fool?”

“You’re not mad?”

“No, I think Gabriel’s great, it’s Mom you’ll have to get past. He might be our healer, but he’s not exactly royalty.”

Octavia nodded solemnly. Bellamy smiled at her bashfulness as she walked out the door before he followed suit, missioning to find his friends. One-by-one he rounded them up until they were all seated at the lengthy glazed table inside the dining hall. It had the least windows, only two on either side of the long, narrow room. Against each panel of the wooden walls hung a family portrait and in the east-facing wall, a fire glimmered in the hearth. 

“Prince Roan and his fiancé have gone missing,” Bellamy started. “We have to find them. Roan is our friend, and his mother has threatened to remove us from power should we be unsuccessful.” He continued, explaining all the details and told them to come prepared for a two-week journey. Octavia and Gabriel would ready the horses and medical supplies, while Monty and Harper took care of food and water. Not unexpected, Raven volunteered to be in charge of weapons and gear, leaving him with the strategy. His strong suit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know right, no Clarke. It's gonna take a little while for her to really come into the story but bare with me, this is a bittersweet romance.


	2. Enchantment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm writing this so fast, I thought what the hell, I'll update twice a week. Like I said in the first chapter, [here's](https://girlobsessed21.tumblr.com/post/187327289996/heavy-lies-the-crown-a-bellarke-fanfiction) a link to the Tumblr post, the map is in the reblog if it is a little confusing.

Before light touched the earth, Bellamy woke for their journey. He pulled on a pair of black knickers, with a long-sleeved shirt and a coat that covered most of his body. Blending in was most important on these excursions. Once dressed and ready he headed to the stables to meet his team. They sorted and packed all the supplies, then trotted west into the icy woods of Alpha Hills. The magic district, Mystical Cove, was a day’s ride away if they only stopped to rest twice.

Cold air and snow left the trees almost naked and eerie, like skeletons they loomed over the pathway. There was no patch of sunlight visible in the gloomy sky and the ground was covered in a blanket of white as a result of the previous night’s storm. Conditions were far from ideal for an adventure.

“Hey, Blake,” Raven called. “How ‘bout we play a game?”

Bellamy looked to Harper who was upfront with Octavia. “Hey, Harp, did you pack some alcohol?”

“Sure did. Monty’s best batch so far.” The blonde, covered in a deep red robe, grinned impishly. “It would certainly fend off the cold.”

“Okay, Raven. As long as your game involves alcohol I’m in.”

The brunette’s pointy ears were visible with her hair tied in a ponytail. And her grin was even slyer than Harper’s when she said, “A little birdy told me that your Mom has picked your wife and I know who it is. Everyone gets a guess, if you’re wrong, you drink and I’ll just drink.”

Bellamy cocked an eyebrow. “And you just happened to stumble upon this information?”

Raven shrugged. “Not my fault she doesn’t hide her letters very well.”

“I’ll start!” Monty yelled from his place next to Harper. “Roma.”

“Nope. Drink,” Raven said and Monty tucked the flask back, taking a long swig of whatever potent liquor was inside.

“Allie,” Octavia guessed.

“Wrong again.”

“I guess you.” Gabriel interrupted.

“Me? I’m an engineer, not an egocentric royal, walking around, looking pretty with nothing better to do.” Bellamy eyed her. “No offense, you know that doesn’t include the two of you. Actually, Allie’s pretty smart too, but still self-absorbed.”

“No arguments there,” Gabriel agreed.

“What about Gina?” Bellamy asked, bringing his horse next to Raven’s.

“I hoped it would be, but unfortunately not.” Her eyes turned soft, Bellamy clinched that Raven knew he had hoped for Gina too. Gabriel tossed him the flask and the liquid burned all the way from his lips to his stomach as he swallowed. Harper promised it would fight the cold, and it sure did the trick. “Here.” He handed it to Raven.

“Sorry about Gina.” She half-smiled in sympathy.

“Yeah, me too.”

“Harp, you’re up,” Raven called.

“Mmm, let me think... Bree?” Harper said.

“Nah, not even close. Think tall, gorgeous brunette.”

Bellamy flicked his head in her direction as she threw the flask to the blonde. “Echo?”

“Yup, that’s the one.” Raven studied his face for some inkling about his feelings. She wouldn’t find any. The bomb had dropped too suddenly for him to process. Echo was a good-looking woman, a little hotheaded as far as he knew but so was he. Other than that, he’d heard nothing bad about her. Both her parents had died in a fire, leaving her to take care of their village on her own since the age of sixteen. It was on the far southern outskirts of Alpha Hills which they didn’t visit often but she was doing a great job from what he’d heard.

It would take some time to get used to the idea and more time to get to know her but she was a better choice than a lot of the other girls. Perhaps he could still persuade his mother to consider Gina; he had been half in love with her since they were fourteen.

Bellamy decided to let it go for the next few days; brooding on it would only hinder his goal. They picked up the pace after the game and reached Mystic Cove or more specifically, Murphy’s tavern, as night fell. Raven walked up to the bar and the devious wizard greeted them with his known mocking grin. “Well, well, well, what brings the rulers of the island to my humble abode?”

At that that they became the subject of evil glares from the other customers. “We need your help?” Bellamy pushed himself to the front of the group. The scrawny, sandy-haired enchanter looked optimistic; Murphy did nothing unless he could get something in return. “What’ll it take, name your price?”

“Where's my manners? What would you like to drink?” He gestured for them to take a seat. Everyone’s faces turned sour in their search for a clean, open table. The place was dimly lit, creepy, and crawling with low-lives. When the sorcerers couldn’t use their magic responsibly, Luna, queen of Mystic Cove, removed it and they usually ended up drinking themselves senseless at the tavern. As soon as they found a decent place to sit, each of them ordered a beer which Murphy brought over, taking a seat next to Bellamy. “So, what can I do for you?”

“Prince Roan has been kidnapped, you know anything about that?” Bellamy challenged.

“I may have heard a rumor. Apparently, his sexy blonde fiancé too. Can’t tell you any more than that.”

Bellamy nodded, he knew the drill, and there was no point in wasting time. “Like I said, name your price.”

“I see you learn fast, your highness. Emori and I have been working on a new potion. After one of the locals died drinking one, the queen passed a new law. We’re not allowed to sell any until it has been tested and approved.”

Bellamy glared at him through narrowed eyes, already knowing where it was headed. “Where do I come in?”

“You’re the high prince of the island, you can waive the law for me.”

“No.” He slammed his beer down on the untreated wooden table. “Absolutely not.”

Murphy shrugged, getting to his feet. “Then I guess you don’t need my help as badly as you thought.”

Octavia caught his eye, trying to convey a message which he couldn’t decipher. Ignoring it for the moment, he followed Murphy to the bar. “How do these things get tested?”

Murphy’s smirk returned. “Usually the queen reads the specifications, you know, ingredients, method, and purpose. Then they test it on a willing volunteer who understands all the risks and rewards. When she’s happy with the outcome, she approves it.”

“So,” Bellamy’s brow creased in confusion, “what’s the problem?”

“The whole point of the potion is to remain a secret.”

“Is it deadly?”

“Absolutely not, the purpose is to invigorate.”

Almost certain Murphy wouldn’t reveal anymore, he said, “I’ll see what I can do.” With that, he turned towards the door and waved his friends over. Outside they formed a conversing circle waiting for the next step. “We’re going to see the queen.” That sent everyone into a fit of cheers. Luna was one of the most loved rulers on the island along with the Jahas, and spending a night with her was a much better prospect than a crummy motel.

Within minutes, they were back on the road, headed towards the palace. After another hour’s journey, Luna’s fortress, built on the shore, came into view. Although it was smaller than their home, the layers of glory stood out in marveled excellence. Once their horses were settled into stables, two of the guards took them across the water in boats.

Being a hippy witch, Luna enjoyed color. Everything inside was bright and odd, flowers, sculptures, abstract art, the weirder, the better. She was already in bed, but one of the handmaidens sent for her. “Bellamy,” Luna said, tying her night robe as she stepped into the foyer. Her wild, dark curls even more electrified than usual. “I’ve been expecting you.” 

“So you’ve heard.” Octavia ran to hug her.

“Yes, that’s terrible, but I’m afraid my crystal ball is out of power. I can’t help you.”

“Actually,” Bellamy corrected. “That’s not why we’re here but do you mind if we spend the night? We can discuss everything early tomorrow?”

“You know you’re welcome anytime.” Luna pulled him in for a hug too, before moving onto the others. “Tris,” she turned to her handmaiden, “would you mind preparing...” Luna looked to them for confirmation.

“Four rooms,” Octavia said, blushing, which was met by a frown from Gabriel. “He knows,” she whispered.

Gabriel nodded in Bellamy’s direction, gauging his reaction. In support, Bellamy walked forward to shake the dark-skinned doctor’s hand. “It’s my mom you have to worry about. Me, I’m glad she’s got someone looking out for her.”

*********************

They woke to a table set on the deck outside, filled with fresh fruits and spicy fried fish. Even Luna’s food seemed a kaleidoscope of color, not that it was quite Bellamy’s style but certainly appealing. The low wind sent the waves crashing against the rocks at the surface. Only a steel railing separated them from the ocean that wildly sprayed mist onto everything.

“Are you cold?” Luna asked, taking in her shivering guests.

It was freezing. At home, they would have been in the dining room with a lit fire, but the magical folk had always been fond of colder weather. “A little,” Harper managed through chattering teeth.

“Can we move this inside, please?” Luna asked one of her servants, he nodded and gathered the food.

Once they were settled at the dining room table inside, Luna didn’t hesitate. “So, how can I help?”

Bellamy pursed his lips as if tasting a bitterness; the request was inordinate. “Murphy knows something.”

The queen scoffed. “Let me guess, this is about the highly secretive new potion. I should have known he’d go to you.”

“No, no, no,” he interrupted with waving hands. “I would never interfere with your rules. You know what’s best for your people but I need a loophole, can you give me one?”

“If you can find someone crazy enough to be a test subject for a potion with an unknown purpose, I’ll pass it once verified.”

He licked his lips in thought. “Wouldn’t any of those troublemakers at the tavern be willing for some extra coins?”

“Afraid not, apparently this potion won’t work on the magical folk. They may not have the powers anymore but they still have the genes.”

Raven looked skeptical. “Any idea what it does?”

“No clue.” Luna brushed some hair from her face. “You know the Murphys may seem cunning but they’re not bad people, especially Emori. Got a good heart that one, Murphy too, if you look deep enough. He’s helped me when I needed him most before.”

As Bellamy looked around the table, everyone’s question marks in their eyes resembled his own. He never thought he’d hear Murphy and good heart in the same sentence. “Could it be deadly?”

“Anything could be deadly if they had made one ounce of a mistake. It rarely happens, but that doesn’t mean it can’t.”

The idea sailed up on him like a silent snake from behind. “I’ll do it.”

“What?” Octavia choked on a piece of orange. “Bell, are you mad?”

“No, I’m desperate.”

“Bellamy,” Monty said. “It could be fatal or turn you into a frog.”

Bellamy laughed, what point would a potion have to turn someone into a frog. “I know the risk and I’m willing to take it.”

“Well,” Raven said. “You might look good as a frog. Maybe Echo will kiss you back to a prince.”

At the mention of her name, he rubbed a hand across his forehead, not needing to be reminded of what awaited him back home. “Can we just avoid the subject for the next few days?”

Raven nodded. “Sure, sorry.”

“Bold move, Bellamy,” Luna agreed. “But to help Roan, I probably would’ve done the same.”

After breakfast, the witch queen escorted them to the shadier part of Mystic Cove. The road was barely visible through the mist and snow. With the horses’ labored sight, they galloped at a much slower pace than necessary. Nearly two hours later, they arrived only to find the modest little pub still closed. Monty knocked. At first there was no answer, then Emori rounded the corner with a crate full of supplies.

“Hey guys,” she said, beaming. “John told me you stopped by. He’s probably back in the lab.” The brunette placed the crate on the ground and hugged all of them before unlocking the door. Bellamy had always considered Emori way too good for Murphy, but hey, all pots had their lids and the two of them sure seemed happy together.

She waved them inside, started the kettle and called for Murphy to join them. With a similar snarky smirk, he entered, visibly pleased by their presence. “I take it you’ve convinced the queen,” he said, looking to Bellamy.

They took a seat at one of the cleaner tables at the front. “Are you sure about this?” Octavia whispered, squeezing his hand as she sat down next to him. All of her features displayed the same dismay he felt inside.

“I have to.”

Octavia nodded, unconvinced.

“So,” Murphy took a seat across from him, “how do we do this?”

“What does it do, Murphy?” he groaned in frustration.

“Invigorates, as I said.”

“What’s with the secrets?” Raven asked the question he read on Luna’s face as well.

Emori joined the table with a pot of tea. “If this works, it’ll be one of the most powerful potions we’ve ever created. Everyone would want to get their hands on it. For now, it’s better if no-one knows what it does until we’re certain it’ll work.”

“But you know we won’t say anything,” Harper argued.

“Trust me.” Murphy looked to her. “It’s more dangerous if you know.”

“But how can the queen approve something she doesn’t know the purpose of?” Raven asked.

“We document every part of the process of development,” Emori explained. “One of us will have to monitor the subject closely until the potion has served its purpose. Once it has, the queen will compare the findings and conclusion to the method and decide whether its success is warranted.”

Bellamy swallowed hard, whatever it was, was not an average love potion. Especially if Emori agreed to the secrecy. Even in the cold, he felt sweat pool at the back of his neck and his palms turned clammy. A rush of nerves settled in his stomach yet there was no other choice. “So you never wanted me to waive the law, this was your plan all along. Get Luna on board while I become the subject?” He stared Murphy down but the wizard made no effort to correct him, he simply shrugged. “Give it to me.”

“Very well.” Murphy rose. “I’ll be right back.” He returned a minute later with the bottle of red liquid in hand. “I’d suggest the whole bottle, just to make sure, although even a drop might do the trick.”

While the courage swerved, Bellamy grabbed it and downed the contents, shuddering at the bitter taste.

“Relax.” Emori squeezed his shoulder. “It’s harmless.” He hoped she would be the observer rather than Murphy, having the sneaky bastard with his constant sarcasm around would drive him insane.

“If we got the recipe right.” Murphy winked, earning a glare from his wife.

Except for the bad taste in his mouth, Bellamy felt perfectly normal, but those things usually took an hour or so to kick in. He may have tried one or two when as a teenager, Monty’s moonshine and special herbs were no match. “I held up my end of the deal, now it’s your turn.”

“Yes, well, I can’t tell you all that much except that I’ve heard the high lady has a liking for the fairer sex, one in particular apparently, though I don’t know who it is.”

“How do you know that?”

“People talk when they’ve had too much to drink.”

Octavia mentioned that too, and it had to somehow be related. “What did this person say?”

“Only that they’re not surprised the emo blonde ran away since she’s always partying with some girl and they’re a little too close for comfort.” He shrugged. “You know, the folk around my bar care little for arranged marriages.”

“Bell.” Octavia faced him. “The girl last night, I was trying to tell you but you were too occupied with Murphy.”

Bellamy vaguely recalled his sister’s actions. “What girl?”

“It could have been nothing. A tall skinny blonde that sat mindlessly in the corner but she appeared to be eavesdropping and when Murphy mentioned that he knew something, she left.”

“Niylah?” Murphy shook his head. “No, she was probably high on some potion. The girl’s got issues, but she’s harmless.”

“What issues?” Bellamy asked.

“I don’t know, man. She’s misunderstood or something.”

Emori’s face paled. “I know. She’s gay too and a little lost with her sexuality and losing her father.”

“Does she have a girlfriend?” Monty asked.

“Not as far as I know but she’s not around much, somewhat of a nomad. Travels from district to district, selling potions and doing odd jobs.”

Everyone looked to each other as realization dawned on them; the coincidence was too strong to be ignored. “Do you know where she lives?” Bellamy asked Emori.

“No, but she’s probably long gone by now anyway. _If_ she’s related to the ordeal.”

“Emori.” Luna squeezed her shoulder. “I know you care about these people but if that girl’s responsible for abducting a prince and you withhold info that can be useful, the fay queen will prosecute you too.” It wasn’t a threat more like advice.

“I don’t know where she’s staying, I swear but the timing of her return to Mystic Cove is odd now that you mention it.”

“Bitty Covert isn’t that big a village, someone has to know something,” Gabriel suggested. “The people trust you guys, surely you can find her.”

Murphy rolled his eyes as if the task was far beneath him. “Fine, I’ll see what I can find out.”

“You know, if I don’t find them, queen Nia will try to overpower us. Do you want the fay queen ruling the islands?” Bellamy smirked, knowing that was all the motivation he needed. Wordlessly, the wizard stared daggers back at him. There was a bizarre satisfaction in beating someone at their own little games.

Since there wasn’t much they could do until the Murphys gained some viable information, they returned to the palace. Staying far away from Bitty Covert was in their best interest; some characters would be reluctant in sharing gossip if they knew it was for royalty. The witch and wizard agreed to meet them at Luna’s castle as soon as they came up with something useful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, where's Clarke, where's Roan, what does that potion do? Still weird? See you Sunday.


	3. A little tied up

Bellamy read and paced around the bright orange library of Luna’s castle, repeating the actions for hours while he waited for answers. It had been two days with no word from their informants. His head spun with turmoil about the missing girl, Roan and the infamous Clarke Griffin. He wondered whether she was in any way involved or simply a victim as originally thought. And once he looped the one-sided conversation with too little facts to draw conclusions, he fell onto the vibrant silk-woven bench against the window, taunted with the anticipation of marrying a woman he barely knew.

Five days ago, his heart was filled with nothing but joy, and now the future seemed bleaker than the gray skies. All he could do was wait and hope that Murphy and Emori were successful in their pursuit of clues as to the Niylah girl’s whereabouts. He, who was supposed to be the biggest upholder of the island’s oldest rules, silently cursed them for causing innocent girls to act out-of-bounds due to love. They needed change he decided.

Once Roan was rescued, he would go back home, marry Echo, become king and call for a vote to withdraw it. Luna would support him, perhaps Jaha and Russel too, which would be enough to change one of the oldest laws in the island’s history. They may have been suited for another time; now people should be able to find comfort with whom they were and loved.

A commotion outside the window caused him to look up. The two he had been eagerly waiting for appeared from a small tree in the courtyard. Magical means of traveling had always baffled him. Almost stumbling, he rose to his feet and ran to the front door. Without greeting, he asked, “Did you find her?”

“No,” Emori shook her head in sympathy. “But we found out she’s indeed the woman with whom the high was spotted several times.”

Bellamy sighed, clenching his jaw. “That doesn’t help us.”

Murphy held up a hand to stop his rant. “You didn’t give her a chance to finish.”

“Apparently she left with nothing a few months ago but returned with a horse and small carriage. Now unless she sold a kidney, there’s no way the girl could have afforded it. But the best part is, someone saw that same carriage heading south through the woods shortly after she left the tavern.”

He sighed in relief, at least they had a semblance of direction. Bellamy used his signature whistle to call the others and explain. Within an hour, they packed, thanked Luna for her hospitality, and were on the road. Unfortunately joined by Murphy while Emori stayed behind to run the tavern and other undertakings.

On the way, they had to form a strategy. South of Mystic Cove was nothing but forest however South-West lay the hometown of the hobbits, Trivial Peak. They decided it best to split up. Octavia, Gabriel, and Raven would visit Jasper and the Jahas to find out if she’d sought safe refuge among their people while the four of them would search the woods.

The girl was three days ahead, which made catching up one hell of an uphill battle, but Bellamy made a promise he intended to keep. He would find them or die trying. Rogues and thieves claimed the forest; they set up camp between the meager shelters of trees and caves when there was nowhere else to go. Most of them outcasts due to being wanted for minor crimes, meaning they despised authorities.

It was a little past noon, and the fog had somewhat cleared, still, the snow fell and stuck to the ground, luckily covering the perfect trail of hooves. They stopped at a small stream at the base of a hill for the horses to rest. Patches of light filtered through the openings in the tree line, though the flakes had no intention of pausing their downpour. Any sensible creature wouldn’t be out in weather like that.

“Well, I’ll be damned.” An unknown voice said behind him. Bellamy felt the blade of the knife against his throat dangerously close to his artery. “Perhaps the gods are looking out for us after all.”

He stood stock-still, one millimeter of a movement would cause the blade to puncture his flesh. Sweat trickled from his forehead as his hands balled into fists. “What do you want?” he asked the faceless man.

“Everything of course.”

His eyes swept the perimeter to notice all of his friends were detained in a similar way. He could risk his own life in a battle, but not the others. “Take whatever you need, as long as my friends get to live.”

He heard the relief in the man’s voice when he said, “I see you’re a smart man.” Either he didn’t recognize them or decided to kill a prince wasn’t worth the effort; Bellamy leaned more towards the former. His heart rate sped up, unsure of what that would mean. The man pushed the blade harder against his skin. _I’m not ready to die. _He wanted to plead with him but decided silence was the best option.

Two other men in tattered rags gathered the horses and supplies while they were being tied to trees. He viewed in horror as one of them manhandled Harper, her head landing against the bark with a loud thud and a stream of red fell from her face. Monty’s usual tan skin closely resembled the snow as he watched with nothing to be done.

Bellamy internally prayed for mercy. Harper’s teeth clattered in the cold and her face conveyed the hurt of the bruises, nonetheless, she did as told to save all of them. He felt a strange mix of relief and despair as he watched the six men ride off into the woods. They were alive but tied against trees with no food, supplies, or horses.

The cold spun like quilt around them. Without the heat of alcohol and fire, they wouldn’t survive until morning. “I’m so sorry,” Bellamy said.

“You will not take the blame for this, Bellamy,” Monty scolded. “We knew what we signed up for, we wanted to find Roan as much as you did.”

“They came from the trees,” Murphy chimed in. “That’s why we didn’t hear them. The bastards know these woods like the palm of their hands; they followed us through the trees.”

“Well, any plans to get out of this?” Bellamy asked.

“Not without a spellbook, but you can.” Murphy looked to Bellamy.

“I’m sorry what now?”

“You’re a royal elf, surely you have powers.”

He looked to the crazy wizard as if he belonged in the loony bin. “I don’t have powers.”

“If you look deep enough, you’ll find them.”

Bellamy fought the urge to roll his eyes. _Is this guy for real?_ “Is it the potion? Is that what it does? Besides, can’t you use your weird transportation voodoo?”

“Nope, not without a spell or portal. I’m serious, Bellamy. Only the purest royal creatures possess powers; I’ve read it in old books. It exceeds even our kind’s magic. We’ve had mostly peace for decades and there was no use for them, but you must have the abilities.”

Bellamy wasn’t sure what to do with that information, no-one had ever told him anything about special abilities. Did his mother even know, she had only married into the royal family? Murphy’s desperation seemed far too stretched to write it off as a hoax, though it could still result from the potion that Murphy didn’t want him knowing about. Either way, if it could get them out of their jam, he’d give it a shot. “How do I access it?”

“Through meditation at first, drown out all your surroundings, you should feel a tingling sensation where your strengths lie, then channel your mind into it. And I hope you don’t simply possess telepathy, because that won’t help us right now.”

He did as instructed, closed his eyes and focused all his thoughts on one thing. Unprovoked, the waterfall during summer back in Alpha Hills shaped in his mind. There he was, eighteen again, cliff diving with his friends. Gina among them, in a striking red bathing suit. Bellamy used her face as the distraction, focusing all his energy on her dark luscious curls, the flutter of her eyelids and curve of her smile.

At once, he was transported to a dinner table at the Kingsley Palace in Fay Grove. As usual, the place was pompously decorated with extravagant art and golden adornments. The table overflowed with all kinds of meat and vegetables. Over the heaps of food, he caught the eye of a blonde in the corner about the same age as his sister. Her blue eyes glinting with the effects of the chandelier above them. Brazenly, she smiled at him, causing a tingle in his right hand. One smile was enough to place him under her spell, they stared, both resolute in their stance as the uncanny feeling increased.

Back in the present, Bellamy inspected said hand, the prickle still extant. Instead of exploring it, he imagined it untying Harper from the tree.

“Aaaaah!” Harper’s loud shrill carried through the air. When he looked up, smoke came from her direction. “I’m burning.”

“Harper,” Monty called to her. “Just relax, the fire will burn the ropes. Once you’re free, use the snow to put it out.”

“Beginners luck,” Murphy murmured to Bellamy; he paid no attention to the snarky comment with his friend in danger. Before long Harper was out of her restraints, rolling her red hood in the snow to curb the flames.

“Stop,” Monty yelled. “We’ll need the flames for light. Harper’s smile was one of relief as she ran towards her boyfriend and cradled his face in her arms.

“You did it.” He returned her smile before winking in Bellamy’s direction. Soon, they were all untied, if a bit sore from the lesions the rope and bark had formed on their skins.

“Here.” Murphy handed Harper his coat. “Wizards have naturally warmer body temperatures.”

“Thanks.” Harper nodded.

“Well.” Murphy looked ahead with dread. “I guess we’re walking from here.”

With no other means of transportation, they slugged through the frosted ground, hugging their coats to their bodies. The snow kept falling, and the wind howled with fury. Nothing was visible except for their breaths and the makeshift torch Monty had created.

When the sky turned darker, it was time to search for shelter. The four of them ventured off the path, deeper into the creepiness of the forest. With no possessions, most of the outcasts paid them no attention. Bellamy was awkwardly surprised by how many there were. They seemed to have formed families, clans of their own, smoking and drinking while singing along to the melody of guitars around the fire. 

“What’d you do?” A male voice asked.

All of them turned to origin the voice. It came from a man who was starting a fire outside a small cave. Murphy took the lead. “I invented a new potion and sold it without permission and these three stole cattle,” he lied. “We were told we’d find shelter here.”

“You stole those clothes too?” The dirty-blonde man eyed them skeptically.

“Uh-huh,” Bellamy said, feeling the heat of the lie prickle sweat on his skin.

“Well, you can stay the night, when morning comes, you steal something for me and you can stick around for a while.”

It sounded like a fair deal, though all they needed was a place for one night. “What do you need us to steal?” Bellamy asked.

“Medicine, there’s a fay inside the cave, if he survives the night, he’ll need medicine.”

“What kind of medicine, what’s wrong with him?” Murphy asked.

“Allergic reaction to a tranquilizing potion or something. My cousin brought him in a few days ago and he’s getting worse.”

“Mind if I take a look?” Murphy asked.

“Niylah,” the man called in the cave's direction.

Bellamy felt a wave of nausea at the familiar name; the person he had referred to must be Roan. A blonde girl walked out sporting all black, even her nails and the smudged makeup on her face. It wasn’t Niylah though. This was the same girl he saw in the vision, only gloomier and ragged like something had gone wrong in her life after that dinner. _Clarke, _he thought. It had to be.

“Niylah’s busy with Roan, who’s this?” she asked, but Bellamy had noticed the recognition in her eyes. The girl knew exactly who he was.

“Thieves, they’ve agreed to steal medicine for Roan in exchange for a place to stay.”

“I see, but I doubt he’ll make it through the night, we have to get him to a hospital right now.”

The man shook his head. “On foot we’ll only make it to Trivial peak by morning anyway and...” He stopped short.

Clarke moved closer to the man, then bent down, whispering something. They continued the conversation in hushed tones until Clarke looked up and asked, “Which one of you’s in charge?”

“We don’t really have a leader but I guess it’d be him.” Murphy pointed to Bellamy.

Clarke looked to him. “You’ll go to the nearest village and steal some medicine right now, we have a horse. But your friends stay here, as leverage.” Bellamy nodded, he had no choice but to trust that Clarke had a plan. She wanted to save Roan; that part was clear.

“Good. Follow me.” Clarke went back inside with all of them trailing behind. Bellamy did not understand what her plan entailed since Niylah knew what they looked like. They had to bend down into the opening and down a narrow tunnel that opened into a big chamber lit with lanterns.

As they approached, two women were kneeling next to the makeshift bed, using a damp cloth to cool Roan’s temperature. Clarke looked to Bellamy, then averted her gaze to the unknown blonde man. Unnoticeably, Bellamy nodded, grasping her communication. Niylah looked up, her eyes bulging once she spotted them, but before she could react, Clarke grabbed the metal tub and poured water over them. At the same time, Bellamy elbowed the man in the ribs followed by a fist to the face.

Blood dripped from his nose as he stumbled into the cave wall. The unfamiliar woman stood up to help, yet Clarke hit her with the bucket from behind. After which everyone got involved in the fight. Murphy held Niylah back whereas Clarke tackled the woman to the ground, knocking her head against the cave floor. Bellamy and Harper held the man in place, giving Monty the opportunity to tie his hands with the rope they had left. Within minutes, the three of them were all tied up.

“Help me carry him to the cart,” Clarke motioned to Roan. He was quite big and muscled for a fay, meaning heavy, but between the five of them, they managed. Together, they carried him to the back of the cave where the horse and cart were hidden. It was a long wooden roofless cart that could fit maybe three people. Although it appeared worse-for-wear, it was the only way of getting Roan to a doctor.

“What now?” Monty asked.

Bellamy opened his mouth, but Clarke was faster. “Bellamy and I will take him to hospital. You’ll have to watch them till we come back.”

Wordlessly all of them nodded, there weren’t any other options.

“Thank you,” Clarke said once they were outside, seated in the tiny carriage. “If you hadn’t shown up, he would’ve died.”

“Yeah well, you should’ve thought of that before you got your illegal lover to kidnap him,” Bellamy challenged.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, Clarke makes her appearance.


	4. Vital signs

Bellamy whipped the horse into gear. It was pitch black out, hardly a glint of the moon visible, resulting in quite a measured pace. At least Clarke had a decent lantern and they were moving.

“I had nothing to do with that,” Clarke argued. “She kidnapped both of us. I pretended to go along with it to save him.”

“Oh really, seems a little convenient. You being into girls and forced into a loveless marriage with a man who’s abducted by your poor girlfriend. One who miraculously ended up with a horse and cart.”

She glowered at him, seemingly trying to control her emotions before she spoke. “Fuck you! You don’t know shit about me. It would seem I gave you more credit than deserved.”

Bellamy chuckled. “Right back at you. So, if you weren’t involved, care to explain how your pretty little girlfriend was successful in kidnapping a prince?”

“Think I’ll leave you to figure that one out for yourself.”

Her response boggled him somewhat. From years of experience attending court with his mother, body language was the biggest giveaway of deceits, though Clarke’s suggested she was telling the truth. But there was no other justification for Niylah’s actions. In no way could she have pulled off a kidnapping stunt like that without help, given her little means.

With a hand on Roan’s chest, Clarke said, “His breathing is becoming more ragged, we have to hurry.”

“I can’t.” Bellamy shook his head. “It’s too dark, your lantern doesn’t help much.”

“Fine, let me drive.”

“Clarke,” he oozed through gritted teeth. “You do your job and I’ll do mine. I’m going as fast as I can, do you think I want anything to happen to him?”

“Of course not.”

“What happened?” he demanded. “To Roan?”

Clarke sighed, looking down at the dying man with a single tear before starting her story. “I was out at the underground club with Niylah, as usual. Roan joined us for a drink. Everything was fine until I started feeling dizzy, so he gave me some water. That was the last thing I remember before waking up in the back of this carriage next to Roan.”

“Was he unconscious too?”

“Yeah, but Niylah kept him dosed till we reached her trailer in some small village in Mystic Cove where she tied us up.” Clarke blinked like the recollection was tender. “I still don’t know what her plan was, but before she could execute it Roan got sick and started convulsing.”

After a long pause, she continued, “She gave him an anti-potion which didn’t help. He came around a few times, still confused and disoriented.”

“So, you’re sure Niylah didn’t do it on purpose?”

Clarke’s head shook forcefully. “Nope, his sudden illness terrified her, she even cried, saying she may have caused his death.”

“Damn right, she did. Why’d she kidnap him? Why not just you?”

“Well, my guess is she wanted to work out some peaceful plan so I wouldn’t have to marry Roan. Either that or use him for ransom and flee the island with me. Anyway, she went to Emori for help and spotted you guys, so we bolted and sought refuge with her cousin in the forest. That’s where you found us.” It was quiet for a long while, only the sound of galloping hooves and howls audible, before she added, “You won’t say anything, right?” Her voice was girl-like, dripping with concern.

“I have to. Niylah will be taken into custody and you must testify.”

“So, you’re gonna sentence me to death because I slept with a witch a few times? That’s fucking unfair.” She took out a small golden box of cigarettes; her fingers trembled as she flicked a match to light it.

“You’re not in love with her?”

“Nope, we partied and fooled around a bit. I just wanted to have some fun before I got married and become the princess and later queen.” Clarke blew out a cloud of smoke, not caring if it landed in his face.

Waving it away, Bellamy frowned deeply. Clarke was either a brilliant liar or telling the truth, but he sensed both fear and regret in her actions. “Did Roan know about this?”

“Yes, he encouraged me to do it. Despite what you think, Roan and I are very good friends, and we agreed that marrying one of our best friends is better than marrying a complete stranger, even if we didn’t have romantic feelings for each other.”

He couldn’t fault that statement. “I guess, but I can’t help you. You broke the law, Clarke. Even if I wanted to, it’s out of my hands.” 

Clarke kept checking on Roan, trying to bring his fever down, and they didn’t say much to each other after that. With driving through the night, Bellamy’s eyelids kept drooping yet he somehow forced them open. Most of the forest-dwellers were either too drunk or noticed the dying man and lay off them. It took five hours before the first buildings of a village in Trivial Peak became visible. “How’s he doing?”

The blonde groaned, she must have fallen asleep but shot upright at the sound of Bellamy’s voice. Rapidly, she inspected Roan’s fever and pulse. “Barely alive. His pulse is too weak. We have to hurry.”

He nodded as her paranoia seeped into him. Lightly, he whipped the horse to increase his pace. “We’re almost there. Any plans for the outside defenses?”

“You’re the damn crown prince of the island, why would you need a plan?”

About to respond, he felt someone loom closer. “Hold it right there!”

When Bellamy turned his head back, a hobbit guard pointed an arrow in his direction. He held his hands in the air. “Please, I’m Prince Bellamy, I have a dying man with me that needs urgent medical attention.”

The hobbit laughed. “Sure and I’m King Jaha.”

Before Bellamy could reply, Clarke pleaded from behind him. “I’m begging you, if we don’t get to a doctor right away, he’ll die.”

The man moved closer, his arrow unfaltering in its aim.

“We were robbed while on a mission in the forest,” Bellamy explained. “I have no identification, but I swear if you let us through, I’ll prove it.”

“He’s telling the truth.” A female voice called. All three of them turned towards the sound as a blondish guard stepped forward. “He visited my father’s farm with the queen once, I recognize him, he’s not lying.”

While the female guard made her way over to them, the memory of the visit returned to Bellamy’s mind. “That’s right, I remember, Monroe is it?”

The girl nodded. “I’ll escort them to Doc Jackson,” she told her fellow guardsman who still looked skeptical.

“I apologize, your highness.” He lowered the bow and bowed his head.

Bellamy smiled, nodding. “No worries, you did your job.”

Monroe mounted a horse nearby and led the way towards the village’s entrance. As they entered, merchants were setting up for the market outside their stores. Fresh baked goods, fish, fruit, and vegetables were packed onto large tables. Bellamy followed the girl down the roads until they made it to a red cross sign. Monroe stopped. “The clinic’s still closed but Doc Jackson lives next door.” She pointed to the house. “I have to get back to my post, you should be fine from here.”

“Thank you,” Bellamy said. “I’ll be sure to return the favor once the patient has recovered.”

The young woman nodded and went on her way.

“Thank you!” Clarke yelled as she hopped off and sprinted to the house. Fervently, she banged on the front door until a hobbit in a night robe opened, wiping sleep from his eyes. “Dr. Jackson?”

“Uh, no, I’m Miller, but let me get him for you.” The man disappeared back inside, returning a minute later with the healer by his side.

“What can I do for you?” Dr. Jackson asked.

“My fiancé’s dying, you have to help, please. Right now.”

The men followed her to the carriage before the four of them carried Roan to a cot inside the clinic. It was a standard room, neutral in color with light filtering in through the small windows along the top of the walls. Six beds with plain white sheets arranged on both sides and larges tables carrying medical supplies at the front. The doctor inspected him while asking Clarke all the questions about his condition. She answered vaguely, only giving him enough info to treat the illness. 

Roan had no color in the parts of his face visible under the stubble. Clarke had tied his hair into a bun in an attempt to bring his temperature down and the half-moon scar above his left eye loomed with his eyelids shut.

“This isn’t an allergic reaction. All the symptoms suggest infection; for now, I can only give him a herbal remedy made from spined soldier bugs that possess anti-infection properties. It has proved highly effective.”

Bellamy looked to Clarke, her face pale and wrinkled with worry as she paced the passage between the beds. Anxious, he walked over and pulled her in for an uncomfortable hug. “We have to trust the remedy will work.”

She nodded while tears slipped out of her eyes.

“Hey, you’ve been so strong, don’t go all mushy on me now.” She let out a soft chuckle, but the joke did little to cheer her up. Even though he felt the same concern inside, Bellamy had to act level-headed.

“Would you like some breakfast,” the hobbit named Miller asked.

“Sure, that’ll be great,” Bellamy said.

Clarke shook her head. “I’d rather stay with him.”

“Okay, I’ll bring you something to eat,” Bellamy agreed, squeezing her shoulder.

“Thank you, for everything.” Clarke’s voice cracked through the tears.

Blushing, he smiled. “Anytime.”

Following Miller, they returned to the house. Bellamy inspected the interior while the doctor went upstairs to his study and Miller fried some eggs and tomato with freshly baked bread. It was modest yet neat and well-maintained. Most of the walls, built-in fixtures and furniture consisted of tidily varnished wood, with a portrait here and there. The tables and other surfaces contained a pot of freshly picked flowers from the kept garden.

“You have a lovely home,” Bellamy remarked as he joined Miller in the kitchen.

“Thanks, it’s no palace, but it’s decent.”

Bellamy narrowed his eyes in confusion, did the hobbits perhaps recognize him from somewhere or was it simply an expression? “You know who I am?”

“Well, I thought it was you, but now I know.” Miller started fidgeting with the utensils, unsure of how to act. “I, um, welcome your highness.”

“Please, call me Bellamy. Just pretend I’m one of your friends.”

“But you’re not.” His voice squeaked while he bowed. “It’s an honor to meet you. What happened, where are your people and-”

Bellamy cut him off. “Long story, but I’m just a regular guy whose mother is a queen. And thank you for helping us.”

“Of course. The fay man that’s dying, is he?”

“Yes, the fay prince.”

“I read that he’s gone missing, so you saved him?” Miller looked at him in awe.

“Yes with Clarke, his fiancé’s help.”

“Sorry.” He bent down and pulled out a set of china before setting the table. “My questions must make you uncomfortable. But I just have to say, you and your family are doing a great job up there.”

“I’m not so sure.” Bellamy’s voice went low as he took a seat, bending his head in shame. The chair screeching across the wooden floor. “I’ve seen the amount of homelessness and poverty, now I doubt myself.”

Miller opened his mouth, but turned around, continuing his task. Luckily, Dr. Jackson diverted the awkwardness when he came downstairs.

“Jacks,” Miller said. “Meet Prince Bellamy.”

The doctor extended his arm and retracted it just as fast. “How does one greet a prince?”

Bellamy snickered, holding out his own arm. “Like this. Really, I don’t expect any special treatment.”

They looked to each other with an expression Bellamy assumed was confusion. Avoiding any further discomfort, he dished up and nearly devoured the plate of food. All he had eaten in the last day was some dried meat Clarke had given him.

“Can I dish a plate for the princess-to-be?” Miller asked.

“Thank you,” Bellamy nodded.

The hosts went back upstairs to get ready while Bellamy took Clarke her food. He walked across the wooden bridge that joined the house and the clinic. As he entered, Clarke sat next to Roan, gripping his hand. “Hey,” he said. “Any change?”

She looked up, wearing the same hopeless expression he had left her with. “It looks like his fever is coming down.”

Bellamy handed her the plate. “Here, you should eat.”

She took a few bites and put it down again. “This is all my fault.”

He ground his teeth, expecting the confession. When she didn’t elaborate, he steered the conversation. “How so?”

“If Niylah wasn’t in love with me, this never would’ve happened.”

Bellamy wanted to know more, he needed answers to the questions that lingered in his mind. But it wasn’t the time to ask them, not while Roan fought for his life. He stared at the large, lifeless fey man. “I’ve never seen his wings.”

“No? And here I thought you were besties. They’re beautiful, like the early night sky, the blue of his eyes smeared with black.”

The ends of Bellamy’s mouth curled up, though he couldn’t bring himself to fully smile. “When he wakes up, I’ll force him to show me.”

“You think he will?” she swallowed hard. “Wake up I mean?”

“I have faith.”

“He adored you.”

“He adores you too.” He sang the s, reminding her that Roan was still alive. “Why have we never met?”

“I’m probably too wild for you.”

“Probably.” And he was right back at that table in the Kingsley palace, looking at the girl who had since been allocated a name. His hand prickled again at the image. Clarke looked up, blinking, she shook both her head and hand. “What’s wrong?”

“I get this weird sensation in my hand sometimes.”

A deep crease formed between his brows. “How often?”

“Rarely, though yesterday I felt it quite strong.”

It struck like a rock to the head - the girl could feel his powers. Keeping it to himself, he asked, “Have you ever had it checked out?”

“No, it doesn’t bother me; it has only happened a few times.”

_What the fuck? _He made a mental note to ask Murphy about the peculiar occurrence. Deep in thought, Bellamy lay down on the cot next to Roan’s. Dr. Jackson came back in to check the patient’s vitals and confirmed they had slightly improved but nothing to get excited about yet. Clarke followed the doctor’s orders, occupying the bed on the other side of her fiancé.

“Sleep well, Clarke,” Bellamy said before he was shipped to dreamland.

“You too, Bellamy.” Her voice a mere whisper on the brink of sleep.


	5. I can't be your friend but I can read your mind

Bellamy forced his eyes open. With an intense struggle, they fluttered, taking in his surroundings. It was almost dark out, meaning he had slept the whole day. He peeked at the beds next to him. Roan looked no different from before and Clarke’s bed was empty. Across from him, a new patient with a bandaged arm lay sleeping.

His rumbling stomach pushed him to his feet, and he straightened his worn dirty clothes before heading back. Crossing the bridge to the house, he spotted the blonde, leaning against one side, cigarette in hand. Her wavy blonde curls were clean and brushed while she had changed into a green dress with the same black fur coat and ankle boots. The dark makeup and nail color were gone too. Apart from the cigarette, the woman in front of him beheld goodness.

“Any change?” he asked.

“No, but at least his condition hasn’t worsened.”

“Yeah, I guess. Can I have one?” He gestured to the cigarette.

“You smoke?”

“Nah, only when the opportunity presents itself.”

One side of her mouth curled up. “Yeah, didn’t take _the_ Bellamy Blake for a smoker. Have you ever done anything wrong?”

“Well.” He smiled. “I’m the high prince of the island, gotta try not to. But yeah, when I was younger.”

“That’s what I thought.” She took out the small golden box and handed him one. Bellamy slid it between his lips while Clarke lit a match, bringing it to the tip to light. Tobacco had a soothing sweet taste even when it burned down his lungs. His face must have displayed the pleasure when she said, “Good, right.”

“Yeah.” They smoked in silence, both battling with monsters inside, at least it seemed that way until his stomach announced its emptiness again. “I’m starving.”

“You’re in luck, Miller’s cooking for a prince.”

Bellamy rolled his eyes. “I told them not to make a fuss.”

“Oh, who wouldn’t make a fuss about you?”

“You.”

Clarke mocked offense. “How can you say that? If you showed up at my house, I would’ve gone out of my way with hospitality.”

“Clarke Griffin, you swore at me within the first few seconds we met,” Bellamy challenged by cocking an eyebrow. “I appreciate someone who’s not intimidated by me, by the way. Octavia did too.”

She laughed, leading the way to the house. “Well, can’t say I wasn’t intimidated by her, she’s intense.”

“Yup.” He popped the p.“Very.” Not that Clarke wasn’t, only in a different way. As they entered the house, Bellamy noticed all the pots and dishes that smelled divine. Roast meat, mashed potatoes, and corn on the cob. “Wow, this looks amazing, you really shouldn’t have gone through all the trouble.”

Miller waved him off. “Course we did. I’ve laid out a set of clean clothes for you in the spare bedroom. You can get cleaned up while we set the table.”

“Thank you.” He would have to send the hobbit couple a proper token of appreciation once they make it home. Their generosity has been boundless. The shower was welcome; he stood under the spray, pretending it washed all the troubles away along with the dirt. He made it quick as not to keep them waiting. All three were already seated at the cozy dining table as he came down the stairs.

“Better hurry, your highness,” Clarke called. “Miller has a shift shortly.”

Bellamy sat down across from her. Facing Miller, he asked, “What shift?”

“I’m a chief guardsman. One of us has to be present at all times and I’m on duty tonight.”

“I see. Well, thank you for preparing all of this on your day off.” They prayed and dug into the spread. Dinner was delicious and cheerful, a welcome distraction from the somber days. He remarked the happiness between the couple; it wasn’t an arranged relationship since they were both men. The two of them fell in love, which emitted the bliss that came with strong emotions.

Miller greeted them halfway through dinner to attend his shift and afterward he and Clarke insisted on cleaning up. Reluctantly, Dr. Jackson agreed, saying guests shouldn’t have to lend a hand but Clarke was persistent. Then Bellamy washed while Clarke dried.

“You know,” she said, drying a wine glass. “You really are something else.”

He tilted one eyebrow, unsure of how to take the statement. “You too.”

“Usually I can figure people out pretty quickly, but you...” She pursed her lips. “You’re a riddle not wanting to be solved.”

“I’d like to keep it that way. We should keep space between us.” Their relationship should remain strictly allies; his objectivity would become affected if it swerved into friendship territory.

Clarke appeared to understand the reason behind his declaration. She tried to contain her stoic stance, though fear flitted in her eyes. Bellamy sympathized with the girl who had done little wrong. But laws were laws and he couldn’t make an exception for someone simply because it did no-one any harm.

Once the kitchen was spotless, they crossed the bridge back to the clinic. Clarke walked straight to Roan’s bed and sat down next to him. Bellamy watched with a tad bit of jealousy, knowing they would’ve been happy together even if they only shared a familial love. He didn’t have that luxury with Echo, no, he barely knew anything about the woman he was set to marry. “You think you could’ve learned to love him?” he asked her, pointing at Roan.

She looked up, smiling. “Yeah, maybe. Why do you ask?”

“My wife has been picked too, and I was wondering if it’s possible.”

Clarke frowned. “You don’t know her?”

“I’ve met her, but their village is far from Sanctum. I don’t know her at all.”

“Who is it?” Roan’s croaky voice startled both of them.

“You’re awake!” Clarke exclaimed, throwing both arms around his neck.

“Water, please?”

Bellamy walked over to the supply table, poured him a glass, and handed it to Clarke. She helped Roan sit up slightly before tilting the class against his lips.

“Thanks,” Roan said. “So, the two of you haven’t murdered each other, I see.”

“Well, I needed his help, otherwise he might be dead,” Clarke joked and then turned serious. “How are you feeling, do you remember anything?”

“Like I partied way too hard last night. I can vaguely recall a few details.” He looked around, digesting his surroundings. “Where are we?”

Bellamy stood with folded arms, eyeing him closely for any sign of bad health. “A small clinic in Bunker Village, Trivial Peak.”

Roan looked between both of them as if expecting the punchline of a joke.

“What’s the last thing you remember?” Clarke asked.

“The underground club, you were pale as snow and didn’t feel well. And a few flashes of a trailer and rope,” he said with a deep crease between his brows.

“Niylah kidnapped both of us but you got some infection. Your fever was sky-high. Bellamy went to Mystic Cove, looking for you, so Niylah fled to the woods. We took shelter with her cousin in their cave but your condition didn’t improve and we couldn’t exactly take you to hospital,” she sighed, rolling her eyes. “I constantly pleaded, but they refused, knowing all of us would be sentenced to death. Anyway, a few days later they just showed up at the cave.” She motioned to Bellamy.

Even in his condition, Roan laughed, looking at Bellamy. “My mom chasing you with a hot iron?”

“You could say that.” He patted Roan’s shoulder. “I would have done it even if she wasn’t. Glad you’re okay.”

“I know, thank you. And you,” he told Clarke.

“Ah, look who’s awake,” Dr. Jackson announced his presence behind Bellamy. “That remedy continues to fascinate me.” Wasting no time, he went on to measure Roan’s vitals and temperature. “He’s on the mend but not yet healthy. Looks like the three of you will be staying a while longer.”

“I can’t.” Bellamy shook his head. “I have to get back to my people.”

Clarke’s eyes locked with his, her lip quivering as she took the bottom one between her teeth. In some way he could read her mind on her face; she wanted to stay but needed to go with him for Niylah and the others. “Roan,” Bellamy started on her behalf. “You think you can handle a few days on your own?” 

“Got any good books, Doc?” Roan asked.

The doctor chuckled. “Sure, I’ll bring some over from the house.”

“Yeah, I’ll be fine, you two go take care of business.”

“We’ll leave early tomorrow morning.” Clarke took Roan’s hands. “Tonight we’re staying right here. If that’s all right with you?” She turned her attention to Dr. Jackson.

“Sure, there’s only one other patient. I gave him a strong remedy for the pain in his arm; he should be out for the rest of the night. But please wake me before you leave, Miller and I have packed you some supplies since they stole yours.” Bellamy opened his mouth in protest, but the doctor held up a hand to stop him. “It’s just some food, medicine, and equipment. Weapons for protection.”

“Thank you,” Bellamy said. “We highly appreciate your hospitality. You should come to visit us in Alpha Hills sometime, so I can repay you.”

“Sure, your highness, we might just take you up on the offer.”

Once the doctor was out of the door, Roan said, “Any chance you guys can sneak me out with you?”

Bellamy scoffed. “Yeah, I think you have a better chance of falling pregnant than convincing Clarke to take you with us.”

“Damn right,” she agreed.

“Hey, look at that, you guys are agreeing. You’re like two opposite poles. I never thought you’d get along. Bellamy’s the perfectly charming, impulsive rule-follower while Clarke’s the I-don’t-give-a-fuck tactician, both very strong-willed.”

Clarke looked to Bellamy. “We don’t, but right now we have a common goal.” To which he wryly smiled in agreement. In a few days, he’d either have to lock her up or kill her, depending on what sentence his mother deemed fit, though he hoped for the former.

“So.” Roan tried to sit up but was still too weak. “You never answered my question, who’s the future island princess?”

Bellamy went numb as he snickered. “Echo Azgeda, the high lady of Azgeda village.”

Roan whistled. “Well, my friend, she is one fine woman, bet she’ll keep you warm at night,” he winked.

“You know her?” Clarke asked.

“Not really, met her once or twice.” Roan must have noticed Bellamy’s solemn expression and carried on. “It’ll be fine. When you get home, take her out on a few dates, get to know her, before long you won’t be able to resist fucking her. I mean she’s no Clarke.” He looked to his fiancé. “But a close second.”

“Oh, stop.” Clarke slapped his shoulder playfully.

“Have you two ever-“

“No,” Clarke interrupted before Bellamy could complete the question. “We’ll leave that for...” Her eyes met his and understood the pause, it wouldn’t be possible anymore. “For when we have to pop out some princes and princesses.”

“Well,” Bellamy lightened the mood. “Can’t wait to meet the little blonde, blue-eyed rug-rats.” That did the trick, they steered clear of the gravity and shared crazy tales of their childhood instead until Clarke started yawning. “Time for bed, I see.”

“Yeah, I suppose,” she agreed. “We have to leave before dawn.” They said goodnight not long after and retreated to their respective beds.

As soon as Clarke’s breathing evened out, he heard Roan whisper, “Bellamy.”

“Yeah, you need something?” He turned towards his friend.

“I won’t let you do anything to her. I saw the looks you two shared. Crazy as I think my mother is, you touch one hair on Clarke’s head and I’ll help her put you out of power.”

“Are you threatening me?”

In the dim light that came through the window, he saw Roan shaking his head. “It’s a promise, not a threat.”

Bellamy sighed. “She broke the law, what do you expect me to do?”

“I don’t care but I won’t let you hurt her.”

Bellamy couldn’t help but notice the urgency and desperation in Roan’s voice. “She doesn’t know you’re in love with her.”

“Yeah and I’d like to keep it that way.”

“Why? Because she’s interested in girls?”

“Because she doesn’t feel the same and she never will.”

Bellamy frowned, an hour earlier Clarke had told him she might learn to love her future husband. “Why would you say that?”

Now it was Roan’s turn to sigh. “I’ve been trying to woo her since we met, she simply doesn’t see me in that light. I’m pretty sure when Clarke Griffin does fall in love, it will be powerful, all-consuming, perhaps even painful. She doesn’t half-ass anything.”

He felt almost sorry for him. Being in love with someone who didn’t return the feelings couldn’t be easy, but at least he got to marry the girl he loved. “She does care a lot for you. I saw her with you.”

“Yeah, in the same way you do.”

“Touché. I’ll try to figure something out.” What, he had no idea.

“Thanks, Bellamy.”

“Don’t thank me yet. I can’t promise anything.”

*********************

Bellamy agreed that Clarke could steer while he kept watch as not to land them in the same predicament as before. The snow had stopped but the air still held a frosty bite. On the horizon, he noted tentacles of orange reaching above the green treetops and snowy peaks. It was a sight for the history books. A fresh, crisp scent of oak with a backdrop of winter.

With the world still in bed, it was quiet save for the galloping hooves, the laborious squeaking of the old cart’s wheels and the rustling of leaves. They had been on the road for over an hour and had made good headway due to the unspoken words between them. He didn’t want to give her hope unless he had a plan and since she was the only witness against Niylah, her testimony was crucial.

Even if the two of them didn’t see eye-to-eye, she was good. A little rebellious and overbearing, but her heart was pure. Clarke’s soft blue eyes conveyed a lot more than she wanted to give away. It was odd how they could communicate through looks alone since the moment they had met. Even in the memory he had long forgotten until he needed that power, they spoke without words.

Bellamy lifted his hand, remembering that she could somehow feel his powers too. Did he draw strength from her? Were they somehow linked by an unknown curse? Did the potion Murphy had given him contain a strand of her hair or skin? All questions he added to the list of things he needed to ask Murphy. But then again, he was around nineteen when he felt that first tingle at the Kingsley Palace.

“Look,” Clarke whispered. Bellamy followed her hand to where she pointed. “That deer is perfect. I bet the others will be hungry when we get there.”

He nodded. Clarke brought the horse to a standstill and took watch while he aimed his arrow at the deer to their left. Bellamy had a perfect shot through the opening in the trees. Exhaling, he released and watched as the dart flew through the air. Frightened, the animal hopped forward, causing the arrow to land in its stomach instead of its chest. “Fuck!” he jumped off, discarding his coat and chasing the limping deer through the woods. It wouldn’t get far with the amount of blood pouring from the wound.

Bellamy sprinted through the trees, unwilling to give Clarke another reason to hate him. His legs ached after a while of running at full speed and yet he propelled, while the animal slowed down because of its injury. Sweat dripped from Bellamy’s face and his muscles burned when he finally caught up to the pile of fur. Breathless, he removed the arrow and punctured the deer’s heart to end its suffering. It was cruelty to kill such beautiful animals, but they needed to eat.

Carrying it on his back, he walked back to catch up with Clarke. Being alone in these woods weren’t safe. When Bellamy returned, he silently cursed himself when he found her surrounded by scaly forest-inhabitants. He hid behind a tree, trying to form a plan and all that came to mind was the ridiculous magic in his hand that he had no instruction manual for. Fenced by six people and two arrows, Clarke didn’t move.

Soundlessly, he placed the deer on the ground and pulled out his bow and a knife. Swallowing the fear that welled inside him, Bellamy aimed the arrow at an armed man with the knife between his teeth. He let go and before any response, he threw the knife at the woman holding a bow. Luckily this time both weapons landed where they were intended to. Covered in blood, the man and woman crumpled to the ground while Clarke whipped the horse into movement before any of the other could retaliate.

Still shaded by the trees, Bellamy ran next to the path, attempting to catch up with Clarke. She must have heard his footfalls on the forest ground and slowed down slightly. Using all the momentum and force he had, he launched himself at the cart, landing right on the edge with a major thump. He crawled to the top, feeling splinters and bruises puncture his skin.

“You all right?” Clarke called.

“I’ll be fine. Just go, don’t stop.”

After the incident, they soared through the forest with little rest for the poor horse, but stopping was too dangerous. In a little less than three hours, they made it to the cave to find Murphy standing guard at the entrance. Only then did Bellamy realize he had left the deer on the ground and the little food they had wouldn’t feed all of them. “Fuck!”

“What?” Clarke whipped her head around.

“I left the fucking deer in the forest!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is full of angst and fun


	6. Whirlpool

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so excited for you to read this chapter! Enjoy!

Anguished, Bellamy hopped off the cart and stormed into the cave.

“Well, hello to you too,” Murphy snarled as he passed him without a greeting.

He mumbled a ‘whatever’ back, not in the mood for his silly games. Harper was explaining something to the three prisoners as he approached. Interrupting her, he asked, “Where’s Monty?”

She looked up, seemingly surprised by his voice. “Looking for food.”

That caused the guilt to gnaw even deeper into his flesh and he wondered whether his friends had eaten at all while they enjoyed superb home-cooked meals. “We have some bread and cheese in the cart for you. Get ready, we’re leaving soon.” He couldn’t keep the irritation out of his voice.

Wordlessly, Harper nodded though he saw the confusion on her face. It wasn’t in his nature to be disrespectful towards his staff, especially not the ones he considered friends and yet the burden of the crown was quickly becoming too heavy. “Where’s the closest water source?” he asked.

When no one answered, he stomped off into the woods without caring about the dangers it held. He still had his bow. Like a man on a mission, he veered left and right through the mocking bushes and sneering trees. The trepidations were his only companions, and they weren’t friendly either: A deep realization that he was a worthless prince who couldn’t even provide a little food for his people. One who would have to send an innocent girl to her death due to a small indiscretion.

“Bellamy!” Clarke’s voice called from a distance, but he ignored it. “Bellamy stop!” As her running footsteps grew louder, he increased his pace to get away except the woman was too stubborn. “Bellamy! Please, stop!”

“What do you want, Clarke?” He turned around to see her running towards him.

“That wasn’t your fault back there and I want to thank you,” she panted.

“For what?”

“For saving my life. It would’ve been so easy to let them kill me. My death would’ve been a terrible accident which no-one could blame you for. You wouldn’t have to put me on trial, wouldn’t have to face Roan or his mother.”

He snorted. “You think it would’ve made my life easier to lose a horse and supplies? You think Roan wouldn’t blame me because you were murdered and not sentenced to death? Do you think Niylah’s trial would be easier without you as a witness? I didn’t do that for you, I did that for me,” he lied as not to let her know he might care whether she lived or died.

“You know what,” she snarled through gritted teeth. “I think you’re lying. I think you’re mad at yourself because you’re a coward.” She then turned, running away.

“You don’t know shit about me, remember!” he yelled after her, even more furious than before. Shaking with rage, he continued his search for water. At least it didn’t take as long as expected before Bellamy stumbled upon an unfrozen stream running downhill. A current of murky translucence rippling through its rocky path. Because of winter, it was shallow, with patches of nothing but mud and stones. Sliding the bow over his shoulder, he bent down to wash his face and injuries in avoiding infection. He then pulled out the two canteens, emptied and refilled them with the icy water.

Finding his way back to the cave was a bit of a struggle since his brooding mind left him without beacons. That part of the forest looked deserted, and he wondered whether deadly animals had claimed it – keeping the inhabitants out. Bellamy’s head veered left and right in his search of anything familiar, but it all looked the same. Melting snow, a few shards of grass, trees, and bushes in every direction. _Great! Just fucking great! _After countless loops, he almost gave up until...

“You lost?” Clarke’s voice startled him.

He looked up. “You following me?”

Rolling her eyes, she walked forward. “Heaven forbid someone should care enough to make sure you’re alive.”

“Hilarious. Let’s get out of here. I wanna go home.”

“Why, so you can go sit in your beautiful bedroom and sulk?”

For some reason, she was out to rile him up. “I liked you better when we had nothing to say to each other.”

“Oh, I had plenty to say, you were just too caught up in your own woes to listen.”

Searching for a response, he gazed at her and perhaps for the first time since that dinner at the palace did he notice her beauty. Without the heavy makeup, her skin had a soft creamy glow and in the sunlight, those eyes resembled aquamarines. He hadn’t realized he was staring until she said, “What? Can’t think of a retort?”

Bellamy shook himself from the trance. “We should get back.” Annoyed, she spun around to leave, but he grabbed her arm. “Clarke, I told you, we can’t be friends.”

Pulling her hand away, she said, “I was all wrong about you!”

He wanted to correct her, except hating him was a safer route until he could think of a way out of their dilemma. Instead, he kept quiet, following her lead towards the cave.

“How do we do this?” she asked as they scurried through the bushes. “There’s barely space for two people and a driver in the cart. We’re eight.”

“Can you handle Niylah?”

Clarke nodded.

“Good. Does she have more of the tranquilizing potion left for the other two?”

“Doubt it. But I bet that’s child’s play for Murphy.”

“Let’s hope so, then the rest of us will go on foot, but we only have three bows. We should make it to the City of Light by Nightfall.”

Clarke shot him a look. “We’re going to the City of Light? What about Roan?”

“Relax. Octavia and the others went to the Jaha’s for help. King Jaha and Wells will lend us proper horses and equipment to get back home. Once they’ve called off the search party in Trivial Peak and we have everything we need, we’ll go back for Roan. Besides, it’ll give him a little more time to heal.”

“I guess you’re right.”

It was silent after that, not entirely uncomfortable. But before they reached the cave, Clarke stopped. “Bellamy, what’ll happen to Niylah and the others?”

His chest tightened; there was no use in lying to her. “I’m not king yet, it’s not my decision, but abducting and hiding a prince will not go punished lightly.”

She took her bottom lip between her teeth, a nervous habit he’d noticed. Though this time he remarked they were thin and pink and wondered what they’d taste like. _What the fuck is wrong with you? She’s one of your best friends’ fiancé and a fairy._

“What about me?” she asked, pulling him from his highly inapt thoughts.

“Don’t dwell on it, Clarke.” Which was all he could give her for the moment. He had promised Roan to find a way to save her, though the chances were needle slim.

Clarke cocked her eyebrows. “I’ll never get you.”

In essence, he appreciated that, he’d much rather remain a riddle than become an open book. A good leader had to be feared and loved simultaneously. “Yeah well, most days I don’t get myself. Come on, we still have a long journey ahead.”

Everyone was bustling inside the cave as they came in, sparing them no glance. “Murphy, can we talk?” he asked.

Reluctantly, the scrawny wizard followed them outside. “You know I’m not your enemy, right?”

“Yeah, that doesn’t make you my friend either. Can you cook up a sedative potion?”

Murphy frowned. “Here, now?”

“Yeah,” Clarke nodded. “We must knock the other two out. They know the people in the woods; if they’re conscious, they’ll cause a scene that’ll get all of us killed.”

Murphy snorted. “There’s enough sedative potion in the supply bag you brought with you, why do I have to make some. Besides, I need poppy seeds and a ton of other stuff.”

That statement numbed him. Bellamy was certain Dr. Jackson did not include any sedative potions in their supplies. “Murphy, will you excuse us for a sec?”

Murphy looked between the two of them with what appeared to be curiosity before he rebounded to the cave’s opening. Once the wizard was gone, Bellamy looked to Clarke in confusion. “What did you do?”

“I thought ahead. It was on the supply table. I knew we needed it, so I took it.”

His hands balled into fists; Clarke just kept enraging him. She was a relentless thunderstorm that kept striking down his realm.

Shrugging, she continued, “What? I knew Murphy might not be able to make it and we need it. Besides, I’m dying anyway, what’s one more crime?”

Bellamy rubbed his temples, trying to contain his anger. As if his current predicament with the fairy wasn’t big enough, she had to add fuel to the fire. “What were you thinking, Clarke? Look at these woods, look at the people around you. On this island, stealing is a major crime. Do you want this place to turn into the horrid countries of humans? You know why they come here, because this place is a sanctuary. Fuck, Clarke. And then you have the audacity to lie to my face.”

Clarke breathed deeply. “I didn’t lie. I just omitted to tell you. But what would we have done without it, huh? Leave them here all tied up? I did what I had to do and I’ll take the punishment for it.”

Almost certain that steam sweltered from his ears, he ignored her and headed back to the cave, meeting Murphy at the entrance. “Do I sense affection for a fairy?”

“Yeah, that affection’s called vexation.”

“Fuck, you have a problem, my friend.”

Bellamy turned, staring the wizard down. “Told you, we’re not friends.”

Murphy held up his hands, shielding his face. “Easy now. I get it, you’ll have to put her on trial, perhaps even kill her. And...” He moved closer, whispering in Bellamy’s ear. “You don’t wanna do that.”

Bellamy couldn’t let anyone in on Clarke’s secret yet, not even his friends. Acting oblivious, he said, “Just do your damn job and make sure those two outcasts are sedated.”

Derisively, he bowed. “Whatever you say, your highness.”

Once they were all packed up, Monty and Harper took guard at the front; he and Clarke shielded the back with Niylah between them while Murphy steered the cart. The strenuous journey stretched for hours on foot before they met the City of Light’s outer defenses. At least this time the Jaha’s had informed the guards of their possible visit. Without difficulty they were cleared to enter.

It was well into the night when they crossed the city’s boundaries. Differing heights of stone buildings all lit up against the dark background of the evening sky. The worn cart’s screeching against the paved road was a stark reminder that they had reached safety. They had made it. Thanks to Clarke. He stopped and pulled her by the elbow. Niylah looked between the two of them with the interruption of their steady rhythm, but he motioned for her to continue with the rest of the pack. “Listen, I have to thank you for all your help even if I don’t agree with your methods.”

“Wow, be careful, your highness, some might think you actually care.”

Bellamy kept his focus on the ground, partly for embarrassment, but more so to hide the affection she might find on his face. “I’m serious. We’re safe, Roan’s safe and in large part, that’s due to you.”

“Stop.” She slapped his shoulder. “You deserve just as much credit.”

“Guess we make a good team then, huh?” he smiled down at her.

“Too bad this partnership won’t last long.”

Complete silence.

“Come on,” he finally said as he started down the road. “They’ll be wondering where we are soon.”

Clarke nodded and followed him. “Make it quick, please?”

“What are you talking about?”

“My death. Make it quick, don’t let me stand there waiting in agony and fear with a roaring crowd.”

The words stung like a venomous snakebite, one that might cause his own death. “Okay,” was all he could say, it was one thing he _could_ promise her.

“Don’t beat yourself up.” Clarke nudged his shoulder. “It’s not your fault I broke the law.”

Even so, it was sinful to destroy someone so beautiful, smart, and determined. Someone meant for greatness. If he could convince his mother to sentence her to prison and lock her up in the cells below their palace, he could take care of her. But the loneliness and emptiness would transform her from an unruly force to a lifeless ghost. Perhaps death was the better option.

Monty, Harper, and the others were already at the palace gates when they caught up. The Jaha castle was a towering brownstone excellence built into the foot of a mountain next to the shoreline. A stark contrast to their own. Inside, they had kept the medieval theme for reasons Bellamy didn’t understand. Perhaps the conservative nature of the old king.

The guards didn’t ask questions; they opened and led them to the door where King Thelonious Jaha waited to welcome them. “Prince Bellamy.” He extended his hand. “We see way too little of you.”

“Indeed, your majesty. We-“

“Clarke, milady,” the king called and opened his arms for her. “I was so worried, you do not understand how pleased I am to see you in good health.”

Bellamy looked between the two who seemed to know each other well. They probably did since Clarke’s parents often collaborated with the hobbits in their explorations.

“I’m fine, your majesty. A few scratches but nothing major.”

“Well,” the dark skinned king smiled. “Should have known nothing can get the high lady of Polis Hollow down. How're your parents?”

“The last time I saw them they were great. Researching transportation methods that wouldn’t harm the environment.”

“Yes, yes. They had told me about that.” King Jaha’s eye caught Bellamy’s. “My apologies, you must be tired and hungry, please come in.”

“Thank you, where are Octavia and the others?”

“I’m afraid Wells is accompanying them from village to village in search of the fay prince but I’ve already sent for them. You needn’t worry. In the meantime, my people will prepare some rooms and dinner for you. We’ve already eaten.” King Jaha nodded at his assistant, who turned to carry out his orders. “The prisoners can stay in the cells for now and will be provided with food and water.”

“We appreciate it,” Bellamy said.

“I need to thank you for bringing the prince and his lady to safety. Speaking of, where is the prince?”

“Resting. At a clinic in Bunker Village,” Clarke explained.

“Ah,” King Jaha nodded. “With Dr. Jackson, I assume. A very fine healer, Prince Roan is in good hands then.”

“Indeed,” Clarke agreed.

With an overbearing hunger, they found their way to the dining room first where the chef had heated some leftover stew and bread. They had set five places, each with a glass of wine. Eagerly, they sat down, digging into the food. Especially the three that were stranded in the woods. Monty explained they had caught two rabbits, but it wasn’t much between the six of them.

“This is heaven,” Monty said, stuffing his face.

That same guilt Bellamy had felt over the dear earlier, returned at full force. Over the low chatter at the table, he caught Clarke’s warning glare. As he’d grown discerned over the last few days, they had the ability to communicate with no words between them. That look meant do not blame yourself for something you had no control over.

Their non-verbal conversation continued as he looked down, with saddened eyes, telling her he shouldn’t have left it on the ground. He should have thrown it over his shoulder before he chased after her. Clarke’s vehemence in her face increased to the point where he feared she might throw a piece of bread at him to end his pity party.

“Care to let us in on your conversation?” Murphy asked.

“Excuse me?” Bellamy said.

“You and Clarke are talking to each other, right? Care to let us in?”

Frowning, Harper said, “I didn’t hear them say a word.”

“Yeah, apparently they don’t have to.” Murphy raised a brow in interest.

“He’s delusional.” Bellamy talked it down and took another bite of stew.

Saving him from the awkwardness, a servant came through the door. “More wine?”

“Thank you.” Clarke raised her glass with a charming smile.

“For me too, thank you.” Bellamy held his glass up and the others followed suit. After the second glass, it turned into a small party. With a net of safety around them, the alcohol and chatter flowed. Somehow his eyes kept searching for Clarke’s, needing to ensure she was having a good time. _You can’t be friends, remember?_

“Glad to see you’re enjoying yourselves.” King Jaha entered the room. “Please feel free to move this to the entertainment room if you’d like. I’m off to bed but you should stay and have some fun. You deserve it.”

“Thank you,” Clarke said. “Sleep well.”

The king nodded with a small smile before he left.

“Come on.” Clarke rose to her feet. “There are comfortable seats and brandy.”

“Don’t mind if I do.” Murphy stood, wiping his mouth with a napkin. All of them followed shortly after.

On the way, Bellamy pulled Murphy aside, waiting till the others were out of earshot before he spoke. “What are you trying to prove?”

“No idea what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t play games, Murphy. That was the second time you’ve said something about me and Clarke.”

“Sorry, your highness, both times were simply observations. It’s what I do. I study people, that’s why I’m one of the best wizards on the island.”

Bellamy eyed him, Murphy was one of the most impossible people to read. His acumen served him well. “Just stop acting out of bounds. I need to ask you something important and I need your complete discretion on the matter.”

“I’m listening.”

“The powers, do they come from the potion?”

“No.”

Bellamy took a deep breath, gathering the courage to ask the more loaded question. “Why can Clarke feel my powers?”

“So, there _is_ a connection?” Murphy grinned. “I knew it. But I can’t answer your question, it should be in my history books somewhere. I stumbled upon the section on the powers by accident while doing research, there was nothing about a link.”

“She’s a fairy, how can we have a connection?”

Murphy just shrugged.

“Clarke can never find out about this,” Bellamy warned.

The wizard then mimed zipping his lips with a lock.

Annoyed, Bellamy stomped off towards the entertainment room. Inside were music instruments, brown leather seats, and a bar stocked with liquor. Monty and Harper were staring deep into each other’s eyes on a sofa in the corner. He noticed the open door that led to the balcony. _Stay put. _Not listening to the voice of reason, he followed it, knowing Clarke was out there. “Hey, it’s freezing out here.”

“I’m fine. Want one?” She held out her small box of cigarettes.

“Nah, I can’t act like a teenager anymore.”

“Of course. Bellamy Blake can’t do anything wrong, right? Just now people judge him.”

He chuckled. “I did a few stupid things when I was younger. But I’ll be king soon and that comes with a lot of responsibility.”

“That’s exactly my point, live a little. Get drunk with me.”

“We have a long journey ahead, Clarke. I can’t be hung over.”

She doused her cigarette and pulled him back inside towards the bar. “Oh, it wasn’t a question, it was an order.”

“Last time I checked only my mother gave me orders.”

“Not tonight, your highness. I’m dying,” she whispered against his ear. “Grant me this dying wish.”

“Would you stop that?”

Clarke poured two glasses of brandy and slid one to him. “Stop what?”

“Making me feel guilty.”

They sat down next to each other at the counter. “Why do you feel guilty?”

_Why do you feel guilty? _Since he was young he had attended court, from the age of eighteen his mother had asked his input on all cases and he had even carried out some sentences. Their punishments might have seemed harsh to some, but it kept the peace on the island. Downing the drink, he said, “You’re not a criminal, Clarke. You’ve made some bad decisions but you’re a good person. I don’t wanna do this to you.”

“Enough with the heavy,” Murphy interrupted them.

“You’re right,” Clarke said and moved to join Monty and Harper on the couch. Everyone shared stories of foolish things they’ve done whilst drunk. They laughed and joked before Monty got up to play piano. Lively tunes to which Clarke and Harper danced until they fell down from exhaustion. Bellamy couldn’t keep his eyes off the joy that radiated from her as she hopped and twirled.

The bouncy melodies then took a softer turn to end the night off. “Dance with me,” Clarke said.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Oh, come on.” She pulled him up, locking an arm around his neck. Giving in, he placed one hand on her hip and took her right hand into his left. A stark contrast between their skin tones. The music moved them effortlessly. He steered, and she followed with no thought while leaning her head on his chest. 

The pounding of his heart was palpable, and he was certain she felt it. “So, this is what it’s like to party with Clarke Griffin?” he asked as a distraction.

“See, it’s fun.” Though her tone lacked the necessary enthusiasm.

Looking at her, he noticed some dismay. “Why?”

“Why, what?”

“Why do you feel the need to do this?”

“It’s called escapism. I feel trapped sometimes, always having to feign this perfect person. My parents put me in charge of Polis Hollow at eighteen so they could focus on their research. Don’t get me wrong, I love it, leading my people but it’s hard at times. And I’m set to marry someone I don’t love and I might never experience what being in love feels like. At least I was.”

The music stopped, intruding the conversation, yet Bellamy wanted to know more, he wanted to know everything.

“Sorry folks, that’s all for tonight,” Monty called. “My girlfriend’s falling asleep over there, I should get her to bed.”

“Yeah, I’m gonna head out too,” Murphy said.

“Think I’ll have a last drink,” Bellamy said. “What about you?” he asked Clarke.

“Mm-hm,” she smiled.

He poured both of them a glass while Monty, Harper, and Murphy said their goodnights.

“So.” Bellamy handed her the drink as they took a seat on the sofa. “You said you feign the perfect person, I take it that means people don’t know about your inner bad girl?”

“Nope, in broad daylight I’m the innocence itself. And the underground club we party at is exclusive, no-one there cares. Most people don’t even know it exists.”

“You’re an enigma, you know that?”

“Right back at you.” She buried her head into her shoulder. “I’m scared, that’s why I play on your guilt.”

“Of dying?”

“Yeah.”

“You shouldn’t have stolen that potion, Clarke. You’ve just made things worse. Dr. Jackson will expect punishment. Any exceptions on the rule will create chaos and uproar.” And then Bellamy realized the pattern. “You’ve been lying.”

Clarke nodded.

“You did this on purpose? You’d rather die than live the life you’re forced to. All of it, you wanted to get caught.”

A tear slipped out of her eye. “No, not exactly, it wasn’t a suicide attempt, everything I said was the truth. I just didn’t care about the consequences. But I never wanted Roan to get caught up in it. I never wanted Niylah to fall for me, right from the start I told her it was just fun. I can’t live that life, Bellamy. You know what the fay queen is like. I just can’t.”

He wiped the tear that strolled down her cheek. “And now that the possibility has warped into reality you’re terrified?”

She nodded again.

The quiet stretched as their eyes locked - a blue on brown stare down. It would be so easy to close the gap between them, to press his lips against hers, the moment prodded the action. Bellamy read the dare in her gaze, whether it was simply hostile sexual tension or the fact that she was this whirlpool force that plundered and mended everything in his life simultaneously, he couldn’t say. One thing he knew was that he wanted to kiss her, and that it was completely against the rules.

Nothing could compare to the fervency that rattled his insides. She was fay, engaged to his friend, and he was an elf. A few days or weeks from now he might aim an arrow at her head and there he was, wanting to throw her down on the couch and make her see stars. Clarke brought out the worst in him; she challenged him in ways no one else, not even Octavia, dared to. And he secretly admired it even if it placed him in impossible situations. 


	7. Burning desires

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter 7. I might have to go back to once a week for now, since life's a bit hectic right now. Hope you enjoy!

“Goodnight, Clarke,” he said, standing up and heading to the door.

She mumbled something indecipherable in response. He didn’t turn to look at her; he wouldn’t be able to resist the tears and disappointment on her face. A day ago he vowed not to become her friend; they weren’t friends. Bellamy avoided her, and yet she sought him out, followed him through the woods, she kept staring, forced him to dance and open up. And he liked it. He liked her – possibly more than anyone else.

The desire seared as he marched down the palace hallways toward the room that had been arranged for him. An image of pinning the fairy against that couch and ripping her clothes off taunted him as the familiar tingling in his right hand returned threefold in both. He brought them to his face, inspecting them when he heard her panicked cry from the entertainment room. “Help, Bellamy! Please! Anyone, help me!”

At once, he turned around and sprinted towards her. Light flickered from the room and a few servants rushed buckets of water towards it. Bellamy peeked inside. Shivering, Clarke stood in nothing but her underwear on the other side of the room, watching as the flames devoured the couch. Her wings were open since she probably flew away from the scene. Not caring about the blazing furniture and sea of smoke, he ran to save her. He knew the servants would take care of the fire, so he scooped her into his arms and carried her to her room.

They coughed and gasped with the amount of toxic air they had consumed. “You’re okay, you’re safe.” He gently lay her down on the bed.

“It was my fault,” she coughed. “I think maybe my mom had an affair with a wizard. I think I have powers.”

“Sh... Sh... It’s okay. Don’t worry about it. No-one will suspect it. Are you okay?” He held her face in his palms, trying to calm her down. It wasn’t her fault; it was his. Bellamy imagined all those things in a rashness of passion and they turned to flames.

“Yes,” she nodded with a bare hint of a smile. “Thank you. One moment I was staring into my glass and the next that sensation in my hand returned even stronger and I was on fire. So, I flew away, ripped my clothes off and called for you.”

Only then did he notice she was almost naked below him. Blushing, he looked away. “You should get dressed.”

“Or...” She turned his face back to look at her. And she was so beautiful as she slid the strap of her underwear down her shoulder.

_Fuck, you’re so screwed. _While it physically pained him, he stood and started for the door.

“Bellamy, wait! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to, it was stupid. Fuck, I don’t know what came over me.”

He knew that one more glance would crumble his thread-thin resistance, so he kept walking. Step by step, he coaxed himself to the bathroom that adjoined his room. With a deep sigh, he splashed cold water onto his face. The iciness ripped him from the trance. _Get it together. _

Sleep wouldn’t come as he lay under the thick woolen blanket. It was too warm and yet without, it was freezing. No matter how hard he tried to keep his mind on the road of politics, it kept wandering sideways onto the path of a blonde fairy. Not even Gina had ever had such a power over him. Perhaps he didn’t truly feel that strongly about her. Closing his eyes, he cajoled himself into an abyss of sleep, knowing those dreams wouldn’t be any different.

*********************

Bellamy wiped the sleep from his eyes on his way to the dining room. Even after the much-needed shower, he was still drained and hungover. The mere three hours of sleep did little to rest his body and mind.

“Good morning, your highness,” King Jaha greeted as Bellamy pulled a chair out. “Sleep well?”

“Yes, thank you.”

“I heard about the fire last night and the guards tell me you saved Clarke.”

Barely able to move, he shook his head. “She saved herself. I just carried her to the room. She was a little shaken up.”

“I see.” The king pushed his lips out as though he was uncertain. “Any idea what may have caused it?”

Murphy shot him an intense cautionary ‘don’t share your secret’ look.

“No idea, perhaps the fire in the hearth had some reaction to spilled liquor.”

“It’s possible, though the fireplace isn’t that close to where the fire erupted.”

Bellamy shrugged, noticing all eyes on him. “I’m sorry about the couch. I’ll see that it’s replaced.”

“Very well. The guards have informed me Wells, Jasper, and the rest of your team are at the outer gates. They should be here soon.”

He reached for some bread and butter. “That’s great. If you don’t mind, your majesty, we’ll be on our way as soon as they’re ready. I promised Queen Nia to have the prince and the lady back before the wedding and we still have a long road ahead.”

“Of course, Wells and Jasper will assemble everything you might require.”

Bellamy mustered as much of a smile as he could. “I appreciate it. I’ll see that everything is returned as soon as we get home.”

“Sure. And thank you again for your bravery.”

He felt Clarke’s eyes bore holes into him through the entire conversation, but he refused to look at her. Instead, he made mindless chatter with the others around the table. As they finished breakfast footsteps approached, and the door swung open revealing Wells and Jasper, followed by Octavia, Gabriel, and Raven.

Wells walked straight to Clarke, enveloping her in his arms. “It’s been way too long, how are you?” he asked.

“I’m great, how about you?”

“Never better,” the hobbit prince beamed at her, which stirred a wicked fury inside Bellamy. Jealousy.

“Bellamy!” Octavia called. “Are you going deaf?”

“Sorry,” he blinked. “Just zoned out for a sec. Hey, O, it’s good to see you.”

“Yes.” She threw her arms around him. “You too. I’ve been worried sick.”

“Ah, you know, weeds don’t die easily. You guys should get ready. I wanna leave as soon as possible.”

“Yeah sure,” she nodded. “We’ll just rest and have some breakfast.”

“Prince Bellamy, it’s been way too long.” Jasper, one of their advisors, gave him a man-hug.

“It certainly has.” Wells offered his hand in greeting.

“Definitely,” Bellamy agreed. He had always liked Wells, the hobbit prince had a big heart and an even bigger vision. But apparently too much of a liking for a blonde fairy. She had a charisma to her that turned heads. No-one could resist that charm, not Niylah, Roan, Wells or even him. And he wondered whether Clarke had been more than a friend to Wells at any point since their families worked together a lot and she had no regard for the interspecies law. “Your father said you’ll assist with everything we need for the trip back home.”

“Of course, follow me,” Jasper said. “What do you need?”

“Food, weapons, lanterns, perhaps some tools and three horses.”

“Three?” Jasper gave him an inquisitive look. “Yes, four of us need horses, but Monty and Harper can ride together.”

Jasper made a clicking sound in his cheek. “I’m afraid we only have two available. We’ll be needing all our horses for the wedding in Fay Grove.”

“Shit. Okay, two it is. Thank you.”

He followed Jasper around from the shed to the stables and all other rooms to gather supplies. The hobbits then helped him pack the cart. Being busy occupied his mind. Once they had everything they needed, he felt a soft touch on his shoulder. “Can we talk?” Clarke whispered.

Breathing deeply, he turned around. “Sure, about what?” He acted like everything was fine.

“Privately?” she half-smiled, half-demanded.

Jasper looked up from where his head was buried in the cart. “I’ll just go fetch the last food.”

“Thanks,” Clarke said. When Jasper had disappeared, she continued, “About last night, I’m sorry. I was drunk, you comforted me and I read the situation wrong.”

“Sure, no problem. Forget it happened.”

“But you’re distant, you won’t even look at me.” She tilted her head, looking up at him almost challenging.

“Told you,” he shrugged. “We can’t be friends.”

“Bellamy,” she moved closer to cup his cheek, prompting him to step back. “You know that’s not true. I’m not an idiot.

“Look, Clarke, I was drunk too last night. Momentarily lost sight of my priorities.”

“And those are?”

“The island, first and foremost. My family second.”

Clarke squeezed her eyes shut, biting into that bottom lip. “And I’m not on that list?”

“No, you’re not. You’re a criminal that will be placed on trial and punished appropriately.” The lie left a bitter taste in his mouth, she had crawled so deep under his skin that he feared she might be impossible to shake.

“Last night you told me I’m not a criminal.”

“I was drunk, a lapse of judgment.”

“I see. Well, I like drunk you.”

“I don’t.”

She pursed her lips, and he recognized the tears welling. Over the past few days, he had been studying those soft blue eyes so intensely that he’d pick up on any semblance of a change. He wanted to take her in his arms and comfort her but he needed to free himself from the shackles that she wove around him, so he stared sullenly as she walked away.

“Hey, you okay?” Octavia’s voice startled him from behind.

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?” He turned to face her with a plastered smile.

“You seem a little tense.”

“No, I’m fine. Just eager to get home.”

“Uh-huh,” she said, unconvinced. “So, how are we doing this? There aren’t enough horses.”

“Yeah, would you mind calling everyone, so I can explain?” He threw a piece of hemp cloth over the goods on the cart and tied it down for protection.

“Sure.” Octavia went back to the palace and returned a few minutes later with the pack behind her. Guards escorted the three tied up prisoners.

“Okay,” Bellamy started. “Murphy will drive the cart with two prisoners and Niylah will go with Clarke on a horse. Monty, you and Harp will share too. Then I’ll ride with Raven.”

“Fine, but I’m steering,” Raven said.

“No,” he corrected with no room for discussion. “When we get Roan in Bunker Village, Octavia and Gabriel will share, I’ll take Niylah so Clarke can take care of Roan.” Bellamy caught Clarke’s eye and knew she didn’t enjoy being ordered, her strong direction yearned to take charge. She would’ve made an exceptional queen, too bad she would never get the chance. _You really gonna lock her up or kill her?_

Ready to move out, Bellamy walked up to the king who stood in the doorway behind the guards. “Thank you for everything.” He shook his hand.

“You’re very welcome anytime.”

Smiling, Bellamy greeted and thanked Jasper and the rest of the staff before finding Raven’s horse. He then spotted Clarke and Wells in a lengthy embrace and made his way over to say goodbye to the prince. “Sorry we didn’t get to see more of each other,” he said, extending his hand.

“Next time,” Wells greeted. “We’ll see you at the wedding.”

“Yes, see you,” Bellamy lied and continued to the horse.

*********************

As he had feared, Bellamy couldn’t shake her. Both his eyes and mind kept drifting her way. He watched as she talked with Niylah, how she steered her horse with confidence, how her hair blew in the wind, how her eyes wrinkled when she laughed. He missed nothing about her and when he sneaked a glance, he sometimes found her looking at him too.

Of course he checked on everyone else and the offenders as well, but without consent, he would turn back to her. Bellamy had to plan a diplomatic approach to the potion stealing. There was a chance that the guards at the outpost wouldn’t even let them through if they had knowledge of the event. And if they got through, Dr. Jackson and Miller wouldn’t accept them back with open arms. If he could take the blame for her, he would, but that would have disastrous consequences for the island.

“Hey,” he whispered to Raven in front of him. “Would you mind riding with Niylah for a bit, I need to speak to Clarke.”

“Sure, is everything okay?”

“Yeah, it’s about Roan.”

“Yeah, okay,” she nodded.

“Listen, you got to keep a meticulous eye on her, she might try to escape.”

“You doubting my abilities, Blake?”

“No, just a heads up.” He then turned to the crowd and shouted, “Time for a break.”

Everyone came to a stop, Raven and Octavia stood guard while the rest took the horses to a nearby stream for water. Harper threw the canvas on the ground and positioned some food around for lunch. Bellamy sat down next to Clarke once they were all seated. “Niylah’s gonna ride with Raven for a while, we need to work some things out,” he murmured.

He watched her mouth open with a retort, but instead, she smiled and took another bite of bread. They ate quickly as to reach the village before night fell. While logistics swerved in his head, a better idea unfolded, one that wouldn’t elicit unnecessary questions. “O,” Bellamy addressed his sister. “You guys should head straight home. Raven can take Niylah. Give me your horse, Clarke and I will go get Roan.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah, just pack some food and supplies for us. That’s if you don’t mind camping in the woods?”

Grimacing, Octavia said, “We love adventure, right?” Everyone agreed albeit halfheartedly. The last week had been quite an adventure in itself. But they knew better than to argue with the island’s princess, she embraced dangers, the bigger, the better.

“Good, that’s settled then, you take care. These woods aren’t exactly safe.”

“You know me,” Octavia grinned smugly. “I love a challenge.” She had always been fierce, which is why he knew the rest of them would be safe with her. “You be careful too, big brother.”

“Will do.”

“I have to go with you,” Murphy said. “Remember the monitoring.”

“No.” Bellamy shook his head. “It would have to wait a day or two.”

He didn’t look pleased with the order but nodded nonetheless. They said goodbye before the group traveled north to Alpha Hills while he and Clarke turned northwest toward Bunker Village. And then it was just the two of them.

“So, what’s the plan,” Clarke asked.

“I don’t fucking know. Any ideas?”

“Just tell him you know it was me and that you would see that I get the deserved punishment.”

“The problem is, if I know you’re guilty, I should tie you up. If I tie you up as a ruse, we admit your guilt whether or not they know it was you. It’s a lost cause,” he said solemnly because there was no option of saving her. Roan would be furious and follow through on his threat to challenge their reign which could mean the fay, more specifically Queen Nia would take over the island’s control. “Do you have any idea how hard your actions have made my life?”

“Sorry for disrupting your perfect little life, your highness.”

“This isn’t funny, Clarke. My life wasn’t perfect before but things were going well not just for me but for the island and now-“

“Now, what?”

“Nevermind.” _Now I might lose the island, one of my best friends and the one girl that exploded into my life and settled herself like a sought after infatuation._

“Tell me what it’s like being Bellamy Blake?”

He looked at her with a deep crease between his brows. “What?”

“I wanna know?”

“Well, you have to be a peacekeeper. Some hate me, some love me, depending from whose point of view the story is told. You’ve led a village for a few years, you know what it’s like? I have to ensure trading between clans is fair, everyone pays their taxes, criminals are punished justly, markets run honestly, schools are up to standard, things like that.”

“Do you enjoy it?”

“I enjoy seeing my people happy, if that’s an answer.”

“Yeah, it is. You’re a good man, you’ll be an amazing king.”

“Thanks, for what it’s worth, you would’ve made one hell of a queen too.”

They ambled through the woods to avoid any kind of attack. Twilight steadied just before they reached the village’s outskirts. The number of guards had increased and a shudder alarmed Bellamy that it might be related to their impending return.

Clarke picked up on it too. “Maybe we should stay out here tonight?” She brought her horse to a stop before they left the shadow of the trees.

“What do you mean?”

“Once we get back home, I’ll be locked up until the trial and then... who knows. I want one night of freedom before that?”

“It’s not safe out in the woods.”

Clarke gave him a narrow-eyed ‘oh really’ look. “Oh, but you’re fine with letting your sister and them camp out.”

He moved in next to her and said, “I see your point but one, they’re six people with deadly weapons, two, my sister is a deadly weapon herself and three, those woods aren’t nearly as dangerous as these.” Though the idea wasn’t completely comforting.

“One of us sleep, while the other take watch, please, Bellamy, I’m begging you.”

“Please tell me why Roan referred to you as a strategist?”

“One, I would’ve come up with a much better strategy than yours if I went in search of Roan and two, I get things done.”

“Yeah by stealing potions. Seriously Clarke, why didn’t you just ask the doctor?”

“Because he would’ve told me it was too dangerous to just give it to anyone without supervised conditions and tests.”

Bellamy closed his eyes, sighing. The woman continued to place him between rocks and hard places; he wanted to give her one last night of freedom but that could divert to the last night for both of them. “Fine, let’s look for a place where we can hide the horses and belongings, if we don’t find one we’re leaving.”

“No need, I already know of one.”

“How?”

“My parents had this small base they used for their train research, Wells and I came with them once or twice. It’s just a little further, built into that hill,” she pointed to where the thickets of trees swerved upwards. “Undetectable.”

“Now you tell me.” He followed her off the path into the bushes. They continued at a snail-pace since the horses struggled through the almost melted layer of snow and thick greens at quite an incline. “Thought you said a _little _further.”

Scoffing, she waved him off. “Oh, Bellamy, have you not learned not to trust me by now?”

“One would think I have, right, but you’re a master seductress.”

“Apparently not good enough.”

“Well this situation,” he gestured towards the hill-climbing horses and the dark sky, “disagrees.”

“I’m not talking about this.”

And then the memory of the previous night came flooding back. “Oh,” was all he said since he had been swooning for her and the vision of the island’s future barely held him upright.

“Yeah, maybe I’ll use a love potion tonight,” she winked. 


	8. A glimmer of hope

Bellamy gave Clarke a stern look, there was no telling with her. She could have asked Murphy to concoct a love potion for her at the palace, though he doubted she’d be that desperate. The previous night both of them got caught up in emotions through their drunken haze. They made a good team, they had some unusual connection and there was a strong attraction. But that was it. _You’re lying to yourself._

“Relax, I’m joking,” she said. “But just tell me one thing?”

“Mm-hm.”

“Would it be utterly repulsive to fuck me?”

_No, it would be amazing. At least it is in my mind. _He cleared his throat. “I don’t know, haven’t given it much thought, why?”

“You know, you’re an elf. I’m a fairy; it’s against the law.”

The horse slid backward and neighed, scaring Bellamy. “Hey, it’s okay boy.” He rubbed the soft brown stallion’s neck and inched him forward before turning his attention back to Clarke. “That’s not the issue, Clarke. You’re engaged to one of my best friends. If you wanna fuck someone before you die, fuck your fiancé.”

“Mm-hm.” She looked down, stroking her own black mare. It seemed fitting, a dark horse on a dark horse. “That wasn’t my question though.”

He didn’t answer, he couldn’t tell her it had been the centerpiece of his daydreams since she had found him in the woods. If he was honest, the woman had captivated him since she helped him rescue Roan. She was one of the few people he had ever met who wasn’t daunted by his title and presence. And there was an instant trust instigated by a single nod. Like she invented the word baffling.

“We’re here,” she declared.

When Bellamy looked up, there was nothing but leaves and a big rock.

“Come on, help me.” She hopped off and walked to the large stone.

Bellamy stared in confusion, the rock was way too big for the both of them to move. “With what?”

She brushed off some leaves around it. “Finding the key!”

“There’s a key for a rock?”

Clarke snorted, she looked amused by his puzzlement. “My parents had this wizard friend who helped them lock it with magic, there’s a specific spot that you have to press in a certain sequence.”

“I’ve seriously never understood the magic folk.”

“And yet they make our lives so much easier.”

He moved closer to help her find the ‘key’. “What does it feel like?”

“No idea, I’ve never opened it myself,” she said like it was no problem at all.

“Do you know the sequence?”

“Yes, it’s my name in Morse code.” Bellamy felt his way around the front of the large rock. “It’s on the side,” Clarke corrected.

They moved their hands along the edge, searching for anything out of the ordinary. The exercise seemed almost futile. “It all just feels like stone to me.”

“Just keep going.”

“Clarke, it’s late, it’s dark. I think we should just go back to the village.”

“Feel this,” her face lightened up. “Give me your hand.”

Clarke took his hand and moved it over the spot she claimed differed from the rest of the surface. And then he felt it, a force that pulled like a magnet. With her hand still over his, she pushed against the area, hard, soft, hard, soft and paused, soft, soft, hard, soft. Until she had spelled her entire name, there was a clicking sound, and the rock moved to the side.

“Wow,” he said in awe. “Would you look at that? Do you have the name of this wizard?”

She smiled. “No, but I can get it for you.”

They brought the horses inside; it was a simple cave that contained a few basic pieces of furniture and equipment. Cobwebs, dust, and shale had claimed it. Clarke placed a bucket down next to the horses and filled it with water from her canteen. “There you go.” She rubbed their noses affectionately. “I bet you’re pretty thirsty after that climb, huh?”

As soon as they were all fed and settled, Clarke said, “I’m going to take a walk.”

“What, no, it’s not safe out there.”

“I won’t go far, I promise, I just need some time. Besides, most of the dwellers are already drunk.”

From his spot on the couch, his eyes followed her to the entrance, he wanted to protest, but she was a grown woman who could make her own decisions, even if they were bad ones. The door clicked open, and she disappeared. Bellamy lay back, opening the book to continue reading, though his fingers fidgeted and he couldn’t comprehend one word, knowing she was out there alone. So he followed her.

Crickets and owls filled the quiet of the night. He held the lantern up and trailed the footsteps she had left behind. Cautiously, he tiptoed through ruffled underbrush and gnarly branches as not to alert Clarke or anyone else to his presence. The tracks led him to a small clearing. Bellamy stopped short when he spotted her. Hiding behind a large tree, he was transfixed by the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

With her eyes closed, she flew to the top of the trees in spinning circles. Her flapping wings were mostly translucent with glowing greens and blues around the edges that flickered on her face. She fluttered in the air like something dreams are made of until he heard a loud sob. It crushed his heart into a million tiny pieces. Tears streamed from her eyes as quiet snuffles heaved from her chest. And then he knew he’d never be able to hurt her, never be able to destroy something so precious.

Bellamy wanted to pull her into his arms and reassure her till every tear turned to a smile, but he couldn’t. The stakes were too high. She’d know he followed her, she’d know he cared, he might not be able to resist kissing her and he couldn’t fly anyway. Instead, he wandered back to the cave and fell down onto the couch, suffocated by fear of the future.

*********************

“Bellamy,” Clarke shook his shoulder. “We have to go.”

Stretching, Bellamy sat up. Even though he couldn’t be sure, he sensed it was still dark out, yet chirping birds announced the morning and water rippled through nearby river. “Stay here,” he said at once.

Clarke stopped dead in her tracks to the impromptu kitchen. “What?”

“I’ll go to Bunker Village and get Roan, we’ll come to greet you before we return. You can be free. No one knows of this place, you’ll be safe.”

“And what will you tell people, that I’m dead?”

“If that’s what you want, yes.” It would be the best lie since saying she escaped would lead to a fugitive situation.

“And then I’ll be stuck here for the rest of my life?”

“Roan and I can visit as often as possible and bring you whatever you need. I know it’s not ideal, but you’ll be alive.”

“Yes, but what life would I have? Cramped into a big hole in the wall with nothing but birds to keep me company?”

“You can keep the horse,” he said like it was a worthy consolation prize.

Clarke chuckled nervously as if it was the best and most ridiculous joke she had ever heard. “People will want to know where my body is, they’ll ask what happened.”

“We can figure the details out, but just consider it.” He placed his hands together in front of his face in a pleading stance.

“Why would you do this for me?”

“Roan threatened me. If I hurt you, he’ll help his mother remove us from power.” Bellamy was quickly turning into a pathological liar.

“Of course he did.” She bit her lip, looking down, deep in thought. “Okay, you go get Roan and I’ll think about it.”

“That’s all I ask. For now I won’t say much, only that I’ve got it under control.”

Clarke nodded.

*********************

Bellamy neared the outskirts of Bunker Village, his heart hammering in anticipation. _Fuck, Clarke, _he thought, in all ways imaginable. For sleeping with a nomad witch, for stealing that potion, for flying into his life at a forbidden speed and manifesting herself as the flagship. But most importantly he wanted to literally fuck Clarke. Unparalleled to any motive or rationality.

He shook his limbs, trying to rid him of the unwelcome thoughts and determine which guards were on duty from a distance. Miller was a chief guardsman, if Dr. Jackson had told him about the incident, the guards might be wary of their return but he was still the high prince, he didn’t take orders, he gave them. The rising sun behind him lit up the far-off figures, but they were too small to make out.

With broad shoulders, he trotted forth, deciding authority and confidence was the only Ace he had to play. Two bodies moved towards him. “Stop,” a voice he recognized as Miller’s called. “It’s the prince.”

At the order, the man and woman bowed. Bellamy smiled curtly and continued to the entrance gates. Cautiously, he entered and followed the stone roads that led to the clinic. Sweat dripped from his forehead because of the journey and the panic. The moment of truth lay upon him like a narrow descent into hell. Ignoring the fits of agony inside, he held his head high as he knocked on the clinic’s door.

Dr. Jackson’s smile was wide when he opened. “Prince Bellamy, welcome back.” He bowed.

Bellamy internally frowned yet was relieved by the warm welcome. “Thank you. I’m glad to see you’re doing well. How’s the patient?”

“Pulling out his hair with boredom, I’m glad you’re taking him off my hands,” he chuckled, looking over Bellamy’s shoulder, his eyes searching for something or someone. “On a more serious note, we need to discuss something.”

His relief didn’t last too long. “Of course,” he kept the answer vague, waiting for the doctor to bring the subject up himself.

“Are you alone?”

Bellamy nodded.

“Let’s rather go to the house.” Dr. Jackson pushed past him and led the longer way through the front yard into the house. Both of them took a seat at the kitchen table before he graved the subject. His usual friendly eyes turned grim. “I’ve told no one about this, not even Miller. I wanted to discuss it with you first.”

Bellamy felt his heart starting its shenanigans. This isn’t a conversation he wanted to have. Lies and deceit weren’t fibers he was made of. “Go on.”

“It’s about a potion that’s gone missing.”

“I know.”

“Please tell me the high prince isn’t a thief?”

“No,” Bellamy shook his head. “It was Lady Clarke. See, we needed it to get the prisoners out of the woods and she was scared if she asked you, you wouldn’t give it to her because of the risks, so she stole it. But I’ve got the situation under control. That’s why she didn’t come back with me.”

“Thank you.”

“Doctor, since it’s just the two of us that know, may I ask something unorthodox?”

Dr. Jackson leaned forward on the table, frowning. “Ask is free.”

“Would you at all be able to forgive her mistake? I know all crimes are punished equally, it’s how we keep the peace, but she did it for a good cause. She risked her life to save ours. If we weren’t able to sedate those prisoners, they would’ve caused a scene in the woods. Alerting all their criminal friends to our presence. And with our measly amount of weapons, they would’ve killed us.”

The doctor sighed, bringing his intertwined hands to his face. “So, she’s got you wrapped around her pinky too?”

“Excuse me?” Bellamy almost choked on his own saliva.

“I mean no offense, but the high lady is smart and cunning. Did you know there are stories about her being unfaithful with the witch that abducted them and yet the Fay prince talks about her like she’s the sun and the moon? It’s become clear to me she’s a master manipulator.” He pursed his lips into an almost-pout. “You’ve got a pure heart, your highness, she’s tapping into your goodness, using you to get her crimes excused. Just like she’s using the Fay prince to become the queen.”

“Enough!” Bellamy slammed his fists on the table. “You know nothing about her.”

“Forgive me, your highness, but how much do you truly know about her?”

“I know she risked her own life to save Roan’s,” he snarled, unable to listen to anyone dehumanize one of the most selfless beings he knew. “I know she risked her life by stealing that potion to save ours, I know she considered an affair with the witch to escape her fate of becoming queen because she doesn’t believe in the Fay Queen’s methods of ruling.” Bellamy stood and in a much calmer tone, he said, “You have two days to decide whether a crime that saved my life and three others is excusable or not. Send me a telegraph with your answer and the amount I owe you for the treatment and the housing. I’ll make sure the potion is replaced.”

“Your highness, I didn’t mean to offend you. I was only looking out for you.”

“I apologize for my outburst, but you’re wrong.”

The healer rose to his feet and pushed the chair back in. “Just think about what I’ve said when you’re calm and rational. She’s beautiful and clever, she could be pulling wool over your eyes.”

Bellamy nodded. “Then all I ask is that you do the same before you make your choice. We’re alive because of her.”

“Very well. Let me take you to the prince.” He gestured with his hands toward the door that led to the bridge.

Roan was awake with his nose in a tethered book when they reached the clinic. “If I didn’t know you were almost dead, I wouldn’t have believed you,” Bellamy joked. “You look brand new.”

He looked up. “Too well. What took you so long? I need to get back home, my mother is probably wreaking havoc already.”

“Sorry, we had to get Octavia and the others from king Jaha before we came for you.”

“Where’s Clarke?”

“She’s safe. I’ve sent them home, I came alone.” He gave Dr. Jackson a ‘keep quiet for now’ look.

Roan narrowed his eyes in suspicion. “Well, no need to waste any more time, let’s get going then,” was all he said, though the question was written all over his face.

“Yup, I only have one horse though.”

“Good, I’ve always wanted to be closer to you.” He winked before turning to the doctor. “Thanks for everything, Doc. It’s highly appreciated. I’m sure my mother will shower you with fruit baskets and whatnot once she learns you saved my life. No, I’m kidding, but I’ll make sure you’re more than compensated for everything you’ve done.”

“Saving lives is what I try to do,” he smiled. “You’re welcome.”

The doctor accompanied them outside and shook their hands before they mounted the single horse. Roan didn’t waste any time. “Where is she?” he oozed through gritted teeth.

“Relax, she’s perfectly safe. She stole one of the Doc’s potions, I couldn’t bring her with, it was too dangerous. She’s in a secure base her parents had used for their train research.”

“Sorry.” Roan slapped Bellamy’s shoulder apologetically. “I get a little irrational when it comes to her.”

“Tell me about it.” He referred to his own actions. Perhaps her mother had had an affair with a wizard since she had quite the amount of people under her spell. “I’ll explain all the details once we’re out of the village’s gates.”

“Okay.”

*********************

Bellamy felt his way around the stone door of the cave until the now familiar feeling tickled his fingers. He pressed the code, and the stone moved.

“Fucking hell,” Roan murmured behind him.

“You’re back.” Clarke looked up from where she was dusting the table.

“Yeah,” Bellamy said “I filled Roan in on the way.”

“You know you’re crazy, right?” Roan told her. “Brave but crazy.”

She smiled a big white smile that lit up her whole face. “Now how many times have I told you that and you never believed me.”

Roan walked over, picked her up and held her tiny frame tightly against his broad chest. “I’ve missed you.”

Bellamy had to look away, a strange feeling twisting in his chest that sent a wave of nausea into his throat. He swallowed it down. “Have you decided?” he asked with no emotion.

“Yes,” she nodded. “I’ll face my wrath. I’d rather live my last few days fully than be stuck here alone.”

“Look,” he turned sympathetic. “I asked Dr. Jackson to consider keeping it quiet because it saved our lives. I don’t know what we’ll do about your other crime, but there’s a chance the doctor could excuse this one, albeit small.”

“Bellamy, you don’t have to stick your neck out for me.”

“Yes he does,” Roan piped up. “He’s the second most influential creature on this island, if someone can ensure your safety, it’s him.”

“No!” She stomped her foot on the ground. “The things I’ve done is not his fault. I did them. I made the mistakes, he doesn’t need to save me. I need to live with the consequences of my actions. He’s already saved my life, more than once.”

“And you’ve saved both of ours.” Bellamy gestured between himself and Roan. “It’s not a competition. I’d rather you stay here but I understand the isolation’s not ideal. Though it’s better than being locked in a cell.”

“You’re right, I guess.”

“Or what if I can arrange a boat that can take you far over the oceans to the countries of humans?”

“I have wings and pointy ears, I won’t fit in there.”

Bellamy stumbled over the idea for a few moments. “No, but Niylah will. There’s not much distinction between witches and humans. I’ll make her the deal. Instead of killing her, we set her free in return for her silence on your affair.”

Both fays’ eyes widened. “That could work,” Roan agreed. “But what would be her reason for the abduction then?”

“She fell in love with Clarke. They were good friends and she wanted more.” Bellamy lifted a shoulder like anything could be arranged. For Clarke it could.

A crease formed between Roan’s brows as he studied Bellamy, probably unsure where the sudden change of heart stemmed from. “Okay. I’ll work on Dr. Jackson if he doesn’t agree, you two take care of Niylah.”

“Wait a minute,” Clarke interrupted their excitement. “Citizens will want to see an execution.”

“Then we tell people she hung herself in her prison cell,” Bellamy amended.

“Clarke’s right,” Roan said. “My mom will want to see a body.”

“Fine, then we ask Murphy for a potion that stops her heart long enough to satisfy your mother.”

“Bellamy,” Clarke cautioned. “Would you listen to yourself? That could kill her!”

“She’ll die if she doesn’t take the deal. We tell her the risks, she can make her own choice.”

“Why’d she do it?” Roan asked. “Kidnap us I mean.”

“I never got the chance to ask her,” Clarke answered. “On our way here she only recalled happy times we had together like she was in denial about her fate. Guess we’ll find out during the trial. So, you’re willing to let her die but not me, that’s not fair.”

“Clarke,” Roan turned her to face him and rubbed her shoulders affectionately, “you did something innocent that was supposed to remain a secret. She kidnapped a prince and a high lady and I almost died. Then she made you steal that potion to get all of you to safety. You’re as much a victim of her actions as I am.”

Bellamy couldn’t watch the two of them together and made a beeline for the door. “I’m going for a walk. Decide what you want to do. When I get back, I’m leaving.” His own voice betrayed him as the jealousy seeped into his tone. Why was he jealous, he barely even knew the woman. Why was he risking everything for her?


	9. What is love?

These higher parts of the hills were quieter, though they had passed a few groups of forest-dwellers on their way to the cave, so, Bellamy stayed off the path and silently scurried through the bushes with a loaded bow. Perhaps Dr. Jackson had been right, perhaps all of Clarke’s tactics were pure manipulation to save herself. But when you looked passed the tough exterior, a gentle soul lurked inside.

She used her own water to feed the thirsty horses, and she still cared about Niylah even after what the witch had done. That couldn’t all be an act. Roan had known her for quite a few years and he loved her more than anything. If she was merely acting, surely someone as keen as him would have picked up on it. Though Bellamy had known her for only a few days and he was starting to feel something for her too.

As the opposing thoughts battled through his mind, he caught sight of a rabbit gnawing on a piece of fruit not too far away. The greyish ball of fur’s back was towards him. Bellamy carefully moved left to get a better aim of its head, still, the strong wind current would swerve the dart on its path. Undeterred, the animal kept at its food. Bellamy measured his angle until he had a perfect shot, then released the arrow that twirled through the air, piercing straight into the rabbit’s eye. _Gotcha!_

“Nice shot!” Clarke’s voice startled him from behind as she moved in the prey's direction.

“What’re you doing here?” he asked. “Shouldn’t you be getting naked or something?”

“What?” she asked with a serious frown.

“Thought you wanted to fuck someone before you die and I gave the two of you some time alone.”

Clarke huffed in disbelief. “Is that what this is because to me it looked like a jealous outburst?”

Rolling his eyes, he said, “Don’t be ridiculous.”

“I don’t want to sleep with Roan.”

“Then what do you want, huh?”

Clarke had now reached the animal and bent down to pick it up off the ground. “It doesn’t matter,” she murmured.

Bellamy’s feet moved of their own accord. “Hey,” he said, tugging both her arms back to a standing position from behind. His much bigger frame engulfed her as he folded his arms around her in a pose that crossed every boundary of their hardly friends relationship. “It matters to me. What do you want, Clarke?”

She turned around to face him and stepped back from the embrace. “I want the interspecies-relationship law to disappear. I want to choose who I marry. I want Roan to take over as king from his mother because I think he’ll be more fair and forthcoming. And I want him to find a queen worthy of his love.”

“Me too,” he said simply because it was true.

“Yeah, well, the difference between me and you is that you can make it happen. I have no such powers.”

“It’s not that simple, Clarke.” He looked down, almost embarrassed that there was some truth to the accusation. “I’ll have to marry before I become king too. Maybe I’ll fall in love with her but maybe I won’t. And even when I propose an adjustment to the laws, all the rulers of the island have to agree to change fundamental rules.”

The pale blue of her eyes darkened, staring at him in a challenge. “The question is, will you do it?”

“I already had the idea before we even met.”

“Yes, but ideas only become significant once they’re executed.”

He refused to break the gaze, unsure whether he enjoyed or despised her defiance. Eventually he accepted the motion with a faint nod and grabbed the rabbit from the floor. With no further words they made for the cave. Clarke collected dead branches for a fire from the now snowless ground as they walked. The sun, high in the arctic blue sky, provided little safeguard against the chilly winter air. A strong wind blew past, pestering their faces with dust particles.

“In this weather the meat should be fine till tonight as long as we skin and cover it,” Bellamy told Clarke behind him.

She didn’t respond, and he didn’t push. Once they made it back to the cave, they packed the few things they had used and embarked on the final leg of their journey. They had to sleep in the safer parts of the woods near Alpha Hills when dusk settled. Roan and Clarke built a fire while Bellamy sorted their sleeping bags.

He watched as they giggled, working together by placing the rabbit meat on a stick. Clarke caught his eye through the flames as the golden light reflected on her face. The smile she gave him made her seem so innocent, almost childlike. Every minute he spent with her, a stronger need to dig deeper into the heart and mind of the anomalous fairy erupted in his body. Gone was the mere physical attraction – replaced by a searing desire to know the real person behind the dark facade. Little by little, she opened up. Inside, Bellamy felt like the rope in a tug of war. His island, responsibilities, and laws pulled one side while an extraordinary blonde tugged at the other. And she was winning.

“Hey.” She sat down next to him on a log. “What’s on your mind?”

“Do you think we can pull it off? Saving you?”

“Do you think I deserve to be saved?”

“Do you?”

She gave him a serious look. Tears prickled in her eyes and she turned her face away to hide it. “Do you want the truth?”

“Yes.”

“I know it’s selfish but no, I don’t. I broke a law that shouldn’t exist in the first place and I stole the potion because you told me I would be prosecuted, so I knew I would die and at least I could save the rest of you before I did.”

Bellamy nodded, he had no words. He had told her she would die before he truly saw her. Before he realized that she was absolutely worth saving. That she had made stupid mistakes in moments of weakness that could be forgiven and Fay Grove would more than benefit from a queen like her.

“What are we talking about?” Roan joined them.

“Whether I’m worth saving,” Clarke chuckled, downplaying the gravity of their conversation.

Roan looked between the two of them. “Why would that have to be discussed? The answer is yes.”

Clarke cocked an eyebrow. “Bellamy’s only helping me because you threatened him.”

“Why would you tell her that?” Roan threw his arms in the air, huffing in frustration.

Bellamy looked to Clarke at a loss for words. She wasn’t supposed to say anything. While he struggled to come up with a response, Clarke answered for him. “To make sure I knew he wasn’t doing it for me but for you.”

“Well, whatever the reason, he’s helping us.” Roan then turned to Bellamy. “But she’s worth it, I swear. Just get to know her, she’s basically the blonde version of your sister. Maybe less scary with a sword.”

“Uh-huh,” he nodded and got up to check on the meat. If only they knew the real reason he was saving her.

After they had eaten, Bellamy took first watch while Roan and Clarke got some sleep. He added more branches to the fire and poked at it for some air. While arming his bow, he felt a set of eyes on him and turned around to find Clarke staring.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you,” she said.

“Why aren’t you asleep? Are you cold?”

“No,” she shook her head. “I have too much on my mind.”

“Wanna talk about it?” he asked like he was obligated but in reality he wanted to know every strife her mind held.

“Would you mind listening?” Clarke sat down on the log, facing him where he stood next to the fire.

Bellamy rolled his eyes at her. “I wouldn’t have offered if I didn’t want to.”

“I thought we weren’t friends?”

“Yeah, I guess we could be now that I’m saving you and not putting you on trial.”

Clarke shook her head faintly with the start of a grin on her lips. “You are like the biggest riddle.”

_You have no idea. _“Just tell me what’s going on?”

She glanced in Roan’s direction, his light snoring suggested he was fast asleep. “I can’t marry him,” she whispered. “I’ve tried to be strong about it but I don’t feel that way about him. That is if I’m saved, at this point I’m not sure what’s worst. And I feel terrible about Niylah dying because it’s sort of my fault and now I might get to live.”

Bellamy stood next to her, he looked around, searching for any threats before he turned his attention to her. “What Niylah did was not your fault, and she’ll get to live too, just not on the island. As for Roan, the other day you told me you could learn to love him?”

“What’s your take on love, your highness?”

He blinked, not expecting such a hefty question at that time of night. “I’ve read about it, but maybe true love merely exists in fairy tales.”

Clarke bit her lip again, that small action that drove him insane. “See, on the outside I might seem like the dark and dangerous fairy, but inside I’m still a girl who wants to believe a fairy tale love exists.”

“Yeah,” he nudged her with his foot, “and what does a fairy tale love look like.”

“When you see this person, there’s an instant chemical reaction. It’s love that has no rhyme or reason. It has no perception of time and space and brings a deep aching with any amount of absence.” Her eyes were trained on the fire as if she could see the images flickering in the flames. “It’s passion, warmth, and protectiveness from a person who knows your darkest secrets and deepest desires, yet still loves you even if no one else does.”

Bellamy’s mouth was slightly agape at the sudden manifestation. “That was beautiful but perhaps unrealistic.”

Sighing, she nodded. “Probably. Have you ever been in love, Bellamy?”

He chuckled. “I thought so but if love is what you just described, then no.”

“How so?” Clarke tilted her head back to look up at him.

“We’ve been sort of together since teenagers but with the arranged marriages we agreed not to get too serious. Gina is beautiful though, and pure and soft. On summer days, she’d lie in my lap while I read to her. We can talk and laugh for hours.” Bellamy smiled as the memories of the woman flashed through his mind, yet he knew they couldn’t hold a candle to his current infatuation.

“So, she’s not royalty?”

“She is, her parents still rule their village next to Sanctum, but she’ll take over someday.”

Clarke frowned. “Then why aren’t you allowed to marry her?”

“I don’t know.” He shrugged. “My mother must have a good reason for picking Echo.”

“Now I feel even worse about the other night.” She giggled at herself while the firelight revealed a tinge of pink in her cheeks.

“Why’d you do it?” he asked the question he hadn’t realized was at the back of his throat since Dr. Jackson filled his mind with doubt.

“What? Take my clothes off?”

“Yeah.”

“Because I-”

One of the horses neighed and Bellamy heard movement to his right. “Get your bow,” he whispered, jolting into position. His eyes scanned the perimeter, but even with the firelight, he couldn’t see much. Next, he felt Clarke’s back towards his where she must have been casting an eye over the other side. The flames crackled, leaves shuddered, Roan breathed heavily and fear flashed inside him, causing a lapse in his focus. Clarke’s proximity wasn’t helping either.

“Snake,” Clarke murmured against his ear, triggering goosebumps all over his skin. “Stand still.”

The reptile’s head was elevated, as it glided towards them. He couldn’t quite make out the color or kind, only the elegance with which the serpent carried itself. Bellamy didn’t move as Clarke gracefully lined up the shot. The suspense suddenly drowned out all the noises save for the rapid pounding of his heart. His eyes followed the arrow from where it left her bow to where it perforated the snake’s skin. For mere seconds it went into shock, its long body convulsing until it numbed to the ground.

“So, you’re not just a pretty face?” he praised.

“You’re not the only one good with a bow and arrow.” Clarke smugly flicked her hair over her shoulder.

*********************

“You’re back!” Queen Aurora hurried towards them with open arms and pulled Bellamy against her chest.

“Mother, you do realize I’m a grown man. Almost king.” From the corner of his eye, he noticed Clarke and Roan trying to contain their laughs.

“I’m still a mother, even if I’m queen. You and Octavia will always be my babies. And I was worried, I’ve heard what happened to you.”

“Okay then.” He gently pushed her away.

She moved on to hug Roan as well, then blatantly studied Clarke. “You must be the high lady of Polis Hollow?”

Clarke bowed elegantly. “A pleasure to meet you, your majesty. I wish it were under better circumstances.”

“We’ve met before,” Aurora said, furrowing her brow.

“Indeed. At the Kingsley Palace quite a few years ago.”

She gave a slight nod, then turned away. Bellamy frowned, his mother was usually much more polite and friendly toward guests, especially royalty.

“I’ll take my usual room.” Roan started for the stairs with a hand on the small of Clarke’s back.

“I’ll show you to yours,” Bellamy gestured for Clarke to follow, which earned him a displeased look from the fay prince. But he ignored it, certain Clarke wouldn’t want to share a room until they were married.

“Your mom does not like me,” Clarke whispered under her breath.

“Just be yourself, she’ll come around. She’s very protective of Roan,” he assured, leading her down the long hallway. Bellamy pushed the door open. “Welcome to the Blake palace, milady.” He motioned for her to enter the finest guest room their home held. Red patterned wallpaper filled the platforms between white pillars on the walls. It matched the color of the sheets that flowed like waterfalls from the bed, completed by an array of pillows against the velour headboard. Large golden mirrors abounded the walls between red velvet chairs and glistening wooden dressers, carefully positioned around the room.

“This is exquisite.” Clarke’s eyes sparkled as she absorbed the room. “I don’t belong here.”

“Technically, this will be my fiancé’s room, but you can use it for the moment.”

“Bellamy.” She turned around, facing him with a glazed expression. “I can’t.”

“It’s just a room, Clarke. The others aren’t much different.”

“What will your mother say?”

“Sorry, I hope. You deserve an apology for that poor welcome.” He pushed her inside. “For once, please do as your high prince commands.”

Clarke snickered while she bowed. “Yes, your highness.”

“You are like the only stranger that has no respect for me. Even Murphy shows some consideration. Why is that?”

“What?” she blinked. “I have endless respect for you. You judged me without knowing me at first, and I retaliated. But now I think we’ve found our footing.”

“Yeah, I think we have.” With that, he retreated to his own room, desperate to rid himself of the dust and sweat stench that clung to him. After a long, hot bath that relaxed his muscles and anxiety, Bellamy was set to meet with his mother for proceedings.

He entered her study, freshly bathed, clothed and shaved. Although he thought coming home would bring tranquility with it, he wouldn’t be able to feel any peace until Clarke was in the clear. She had pulled him even further into her web with their conversation about love the previous night, goading a bottomless desire to break any and all laws in saving her. As time went on, it became clearer and clearer. Clarke was the enigma in his dreams, the paradox in his heart and the mystification in his mind. He was freefalling from a tower of logic into the irrationality yet safety of her arms.

“Come in,” Aurora waved him inside. “We have a lot to discuss. But first, how are you feeling?”

“I’m perfectly fine.” He sat down in the chair across from his mother.

“Okay, then I’ll get right into it. I’ve invited some guests to celebrate the fay prince’s safety. Queen Nia will attend and escort them home tomorrow in time for the wedding.”

His heart constricted, Clarke didn’t want to marry Roan, nor did he want her to. “Okay.”

“We will keep the prisoners in the cells below the palace until after the wedding. The trials will commence once the fay prince and princess return from their honeymoon.”

Bellamy kept his face straight to avoid showing his mother the pain her words were causing him. “Is this at Queen Nia’s request?”

“No, she wanted me to have the trials as soon as possible, but that would simply steal the limelight from the wedding. Prince Roan will become king soon and that wedding is a momentous event that shouldn’t be overlooked.”

“Why would you ignore Queen Nia’s wishes?”

“Need I remind you I’m still in charge?”

“Sorry, Mother,” he bowed his head, realizing that she wanted Roan to take the throne as soon as possible. “Continue.”

Aurora cleared her throat. “I’ve chosen your wife. After the wedding, she will be brought to the palace. You will welcome her, romance her, show her the capital city and teach her our ways. Then we’ll have an extravagant engagement party to announce your wedding.”

With an aching heart and a vacant expression, he nodded. 

“Would you not like to know who it is?”

“I won’t love her, so what does it matter? It’s a chore and a stepping stone on my path to becoming king. I’ll marry her and bless you with heirs to the throne. I’ll smile at her side in public, but my heart will be hollow.”

Aurora took his hand in hers. “I know you will because you are so brave, but you never know, you could learn to love her.”

“True love doesn’t have to be learned.”

With wide eyes, she stared at him and her jaw clenched either in anger or sympathy. “We make big sacrifices for remaining in power. For ruling this island to near perfection. I did not want you going after Roan, but I had no choice because I am queen. Anyway, it’s Echo, the high lady of Azgeda Village, how did you know it’s not Gina?”

He couldn’t tell on Raven snooping, so he said, “I didn’t, but even if it was, she’s not the one I would’ve chosen.”

“I see,” she said, and he noticed a flicker of recognition in her eyes. Perhaps she wasn’t as heedless to the situation as he had thought. “I thought you’d notice it soon enough.”

“What does that mean?”

“Never mind.” Aurora brushed it off. “You should get ready, our guests will show up soon and you should be there to welcome them. I’ve asked Monty and Harper to prepare Prince Roan and Lady Clarke for the party. Octavia already knows too.”

“Have you picked her husband too?”

“No, but I will once you’re married.”

“O’s gonna fight you on it, she won’t be as accepting as me.”

With a tight-lipped smile, she said, “I’m handling the Gabriel situation. Don’t worry. Now go, I have to get ready too.”

Bellamy hadn’t realized how informed his mother was on all the masked issues around her palace. Not in the mood for an argument he did as he was told.

*********************

Bellamy waited as the guests piled in. All the neighboring elite’s dressed in lavish suits and extravagant ball gowns. _This might as well be the wedding, _he thought. Head in the air, queen Nia stepped out of her carriage in a luscious sky blue gown, upstaging everyone around, and glided down the red carpet towards the entrance. Automatically, Bellamy bowed. “Welcome, your majesty.”

She gave a single nod and said, “Thank you for saving my son.”

“It was my duty.”

With nothing else, she turned to his mother as he tended to the other arriving guests. Next, Gina made her way inside. He took a deep breath, not ready to face her and grabbed a glass of champagne from a passing server. “Milady,” he greeted.

“Your highness,” she bowed, beaming. Her dark eyes glinted in the dim light of the entrance hall. Out of habit, she linked her arm through his and walked to the ballroom.

Bellamy caught his mother’s warning glare and nodded in her direction to signal he would tell her. But before breaking the bad news, he stopped a server who handed Gina a bubbling glass as well. Her excitement of his return was palpable, and he sighed knowing he would have to break her heart.

“I’m glad you’re safe,” she said. “When I got the news, I was so worried. You’ve never had much regard for your own life.”

“Gina, I...”

“Hey, Bell and Gina,” Octavia interrupted. “Where have you been all day, heard you came home this morning?”

“Hi, O, thank you, for keeping the others safe.”

“I see you’re still in that mood of yours.” Octavia narrowed her eyes. “After this party, you and I are having a heart to heart.”

“It’s a date.” He smiled at his sister, they had always been each other’s rocks. If there was one person he could trust with the truth, it was her.

Their conversation was short-lived when Monty announced the guests of honor. “Ladies and Gentlemen, we are here to celebrate the safe return of Prince Roan and Lady Clarke.”

Clarke’s eyes were trained on him as she descended the stairs, clad in a navy and silver layered ball gown. Her hair was pinned up with a few loose curls flailing down the velvety glow of her face. She was the epitome of beauty, even more so than the night he saw her flying in the woods. The familiar tingle started in the hand that was still linked with Gina’s. Careful not to repeat the rookie mistake, he breathed deeply, controlling his emotions.

Panic flitted over Clarke’s face when the same sensation hit her. Bellamy placed a hand against his chest, gesturing for her to breathe as well. With a silent nod, she caught on and did as instructed, then he smiled, watching the calm wash over her.

Roan gave a thank you speech and everyone cheered. Music started, chatter erupted, food and wine flowed, though everything faded into the background every time their eyes met. In the throng of guests, only the two of them existed. Her gaze intentionally sought him as his did her. Bellamy mingled, discussed business and politics with everyone who gripped his attention. Somewhere along the night, Gina had wandered off to talk to Raven and the others but he noticed her eyes on him too. She deserved a reason for his distance, he would have to tell her soon.

As he peeled his eyes away from Gina to find Clarke, she was gone. He looked around, searching for her until his eyes landed on the train of her dress, ascending the stairs. Without being obvious, Bellamy followed her all the way to her room. He knocked yet didn’t wait for an answer before he pushed the door open.

“You okay,” he asked.

“No.” She turned around to look at him.

“Talk to me?”

“I can’t do it.” Clarke wiped the stray tears from her cheek. “I’m trying to be brave but I just don’t think I can go through with it.”

“Hey, hey.” Bellamy moved forward as her tears became more desperate. “I know what you mean. I had to promise my mother the same thing today, knowing I will be miserable forever.”

“Why can’t we follow our hearts?”

“Where would yours lead?” he asked, though he knew the answer. Clarke’s signals had been loud and clear.

“It doesn’t matter, it can never be.”

Bellamy pulled out his handkerchief and wiped her cheeks. “I’ll take care of it. Don’t worry.”

“How?” Her eyes shook with moisture, pleading with him for a solution.

“Do you trust me?”

“Yes.”

“Then let me take care of it.” He took her hands and cradled them in his. “Please?” 


	10. Too far

Bellamy knew what he had planned was wrong on so many levels. It wasn’t even a foolproof plan, only one that would buy them some time. He considered talking to Roan, knowing he was selfless enough to let Clarke go, but it wasn’t up to him, queen Nia called the shots. His first reaction was to target her, except the wedding could continue without her. And that left him with either Clarke or Roan and he could never hurt Clarke.

He skulked through the second floor of the palace and climbed out the window of the narrow hallway next to the ballroom. Step by step, he followed the small ledge with his back against the wall until he reached the terrace window, then scrambled over the railing onto the platform. The curtains were closed, but the window open as he had checked inside. Bellamy peeked through the opening, readying his bow. His eyes scanned the crowd for Roan, who was nowhere to be found. _Fuck._

Bellamy held his breath, trying to be as quiet as death, he kept looking till he spotted a familiar golden-haired bun coming from the restroom. He had to aim for a spot that would hurt but not kill. His hands shook with the guilt of shooting his friend, except it was the only way of postponing the wedding long enough to come up with another plan. Hell, if Roan knew the reason why Bellamy was aiming an arrow at his knee, he would probably commend him for it.

With a deep, silent breath, he pulled the arrow back. He ground his teeth, hoping Roan would not move and then... he couldn’t do it. Instantly, he turned around, jumped from the tiny balcony and hurried to the private back entrance. Bellamy dashed through the halls and up the stairs to the library. “Murphy! You in here?”

“Where else would I be?” Murphy called from the couches at the far back corner. “My invite to the party must have gotten lost in the mail.”

He walked through the neatly stacked shelves that smelled of old paper toward the wizard. “Let’s just get the games out of the way. I’ll give you whatever you want if you help me.”

“I’m listening.”

“If I wanted to put someone in hospital for a few days without harming them, what would I do?”

The left corner of Murphy’s mouth curled up into a malicious grin. “You finally admitting your feelings for the fairy? Who do you want to put in the hospital, her or the prince?”

“Can you help me or not?”

“Use a poison that you can make an antidote for.”

Bellamy balled his fists. “Does it look like I have poisons?”

“I can make you one, but the patient should be monitored at all times, it’s very dangerous.”

Bellamy sighed, he had no intention of harming his friend at all. “How long until it becomes fatal? And how long do you need to make it?”

“Anything between 24 to 72 hours. If you give me access to all the ingredients in the lab, I can have it ready within an hour. The antidote too.”

Bellamy was hoping for a week in the hospital at least, but he would take what he could get. So, he slipped Murphy the key to the lab. “Stay out of sight, no one can know. Meet me in the foyer in exactly one hour.” He checked his watch and showed Murphy the time.

Murphy nodded and disappeared while Bellamy returned to the guests, smiling and chatting as if nothing was wrong. As agreed, the wizard handed him both items an hour later before he headed back to the ballroom with the poison in his pocket. Wasting no time, he walked straight up to Roan. “Hey, you wanna leave the old people for some fun.”

“I thought you’d never save me.” Roan patted his shoulder, following behind him to the entertainment room. Bellamy noticed the irony in the statement of saving him when in fact he was poisoning him. “Let me just get Clarke.”

“Sure. Meet you in the entertainment room. I’ll set up the billiard table.”

Roan nodded with a one-sided smirk, it had always been a masculine challenge between the two of them. Bellamy opened the large liquor cabinet in the entertainment room and poured three glasses of their finest whiskey and then emptied the contents of the bottle labeled poison into one. He set the balls on the table and returned to the bar counter, the gods forbid they should help themselves to a drink.

Giggling, both of them entered. Clarke had dried her tears and was now playing the happy fiancé part. And she played it well, perhaps too well. He handed both of them a glass and swallowed hard as he watched the amber liquid run from Roan’s lips and down his throat.

Roan licked his lips. “That’s so much better than champagne. Don’t you have more of Monty’s stuff?” he asked, making a smoking gesture with his hands.

Bellamy chuckled. “You should’ve asked _him_ that question, where is he by the way?”

“I would kill for some tobacco right now,” Clarke said, ignoring Bellamy’s question.

“He and Harper left a while ago, probably slipped out for some quick fun.” Roan wiggled his eyebrows. “I’m glad we’re alone, we need to work on a plan. I spoke to Murphy earlier.”

“You did?” Bellamy frowned. “And?”

“Our plan won’t work, we need a different tactic, but he gave me one.”

Bellamy shrugged when he didn’t elaborate and motioned for Roan to continue.

“Stopping Niylah’s heart would kill her and defy the purpose. But he can concoct a potion that would alter someone else’s appearance to look like Niylah long enough for said person to be executed in her place.”

“Wait.” Clarke raised a challenging eyebrow. “Now you’re willing to kill an innocent person for me?”

“No,” Roan shook his head, “not an innocent person. One of the prisoners in the underground prisons that believes in the god of reincarnation and wants to die. They have no life or even sunlight down there, they often starve or hang themselves if they can find some way to do it.”

The idea did not sit well with Bellamy, but he had a point. Being sentenced to prison was often worse than death, which is why there had been multiple suicides over the years. At least being executed would be quick. “It could work.”

“What?” Clarke almost shouted. “Some of those people down there committed the same crimes as me, yet I’m worth saving. This is so fucked up. Just take me into custody. I’ll face the consequences of my actions.”

Roan started coughing and strange gurgling noises came out of his mouth followed by a sudden blast of bile.

“I’ll get Gabriel,” Bellamy said and ran for the door. He sprinted down the corridors, the wood pounding with his footfalls into the ballroom. He teared through the diluted amount of guests, searching for the dark-skinned doctor. Frantically, his face whipped left and right, seeking the shaved head. Bellamy dreaded his next move, but he had to find him. He took the exit to the servants’ quarters and pounded on Gabriel’s door. “Gabriel, you in there?”

“Uh, yes, what’s wrong?”

“It’s an emergency!” Bellamy yelled. “Something’s wrong with Roan.” A few moments later, Gabriel opened the door, medical supply bag in hand and Octavia behind him. Now was not the time to think of his mother’s earlier warning. “Follow me.”

Roan lay on the floor when they returned, his face paler than snow with his eyes closed. Gabriel bent down and pressed a hand against his face. “No fever.”

They hauled him onto a stretcher, then carried him to the medical wing. Clarke stood by his side, squeezing his hand with reassurances. Even that small gesture of kindness sparked a dark, unwelcomed envy inside him. But what irked him more was the fact that he was responsible for Roan’s current condition.

Bellamy stood back against the wall while Gabriel examined him. He asked many questions about what they ate in the forest and since they’ve been back. With no temperature, he ruled out the option of his previous infection returning and had no other diagnoses yet. It was a temporary relief. Once Roan was comfortable and resting, Bellamy retired to his room. While it pained him to see his friend in danger, he needed the condition to last a little longer.

As he took off his clothes, there was a knock on the door. He opened.

“Can I come in?” Clarke asked. He stepped aside and closed the door behind her. “I will ask you this once, and I expect an honest answer.”

“Yes?”

“Did you do this?”

Clenching his jaw, he nodded. Clarke stepped forward and slapped him through the face. “You bastard,” she whispered. “He is your friend. The man has nothing but honor and respect for you and you betrayed him,” she snarled through gritted teeth, pinning a finger into his chest.

“Here.” He removed the antidote from his pocket and handed it to her. “You’re set to marry him in two days. The poison won’t become fatal for at least 24 hours. That was all I needed to stop the wedding. But it’s in your hands now. I promised I’d take care of it and I did.”

“With poison?” she scoffed. “You were so desperate for me not to marry him you’d poison one of your best friends?”

“I did it for you!” he stressed, though still kept his voice low. “You’re scared, you don’t want this, you don’t love him and you want no part in a family that might be corrupt.” He took Clarke’s hand, pulling her towards him.

She stepped back and withdrew from his touch. Her face showed nothing but repugnance. “You will regret this.” With that, she turned to leave. If she hated him forever, he could live with that, as long as it meant she wouldn’t have to marry Roan.

*********************

Bellamy was summoned to his mother’s office first thing after breakfast. It was business as usual though he had more pressing matters on hand he was aching to tend to. Without showing it, it surprised him to find queen Nia in attendance of the meeting too. She harshly stirred her cup of tea as he entered and with his already clouded mind, Bellamy struggled to build enough patience to deal with the so-called heartless queen.

  
“It’s urgent, Bellamy, we don’t have all day,” Queen Aurora beckoned him inside.

He sat down in his usual seat with an urgency to get the meeting over with too. “So, what’s on the agenda?”

“With Prince Roan in the hospital, we’ve decided to push the new prisoners’ trials up to today,” Aurora explained. “Although I believe it’s merely a formality for execution.”

The fay queen placed her cup back in the saucer. “I would like to be present for both the trial and execution and your mother and I have decided to make good use of idle time while my son gets medical treatment.” Heartless queen indeed, referring her son’s recovery as idle time. “Dr. Santiago assured me he’s well taken care of, and I’ve heard your healer to be one of the best the island has to offer.” Queen Nia shrewdly covered her slip up.

But that was the least of his worries if they moved the trials up to today. He had almost no time to execute their plan. And if Clarke had already administered the cure, Roan would be well on his way to recovery and home in time for the wedding. “That’s very fast, surely we need more time to prepare.”

“What for?” His mother sent him an inquisitive glance. “Lady Clarke can stand witness for the kidnapping while the rest of you bare proof of the other two’s hand in the matter.”

“Yes.” There was no argument against it. “But yesterday you said it would diverge attention from the wedding, and we can’t have that.” Bellamy grasped at weeds.

“I’ve assured the queen she doesn’t have to worry about that.” Queen Nia squeezed out a sad excuse for a smile. “We would much rather go home with the vulgar affair behind us.”

He hadn’t mustered enough mettle to check on Roan yet, but by the sound of it, he was doing well. Bellamy soared through his mind for anything to counter their haste for the trials but found himself on a sinking ship. He had lost. “Okay, but if there’s nothing else, I have other matters that need my attention.”

His mother nodded. “We’ll start straight after lunch.”

With no further argument, he returned to his room to work on a plan he had less than four hours to execute. Thankfully, Murphy was already leaning against his personal bookshelf as he came through the door. One less task to worry about. He wanted to ask how he got in, but the puff of smoke still hanging in the fireplace proved he used a wizard’s entrance.

“Figured you’ll need my help today,” Murphy said with his back towards Bellamy, scanning through the book titles. “I figured with the prince in the hospital they’d move the trial up.”

“Can you see the future, Murphy?”

“Nah, I see people though. You know you’ll owe me your firstborn child after everything I’ve done for you.”

“Why are you helping me? Gold, is that what you want? Because I can’t figure it out.” Although he doubted it was gold, it would be too easy a price to pay for Bellamy, being the richest man on the island.

“No. I can make a lot of gold, I’m one of the best wizards on the island. But it’s not important now, when I need something, I’ll ask for it.” Bellamy was starting to think Luna was right about Murphy, that he was doing this out of the goodness of his heart. He never knew the wizard as a hearty person, but perhaps he had been wrong about him all along.

“Perhaps we can be friends,” he smiled. “Roan told me about your plan. The trial is set for this afternoon. But if I go down into those cells, it would look too suspicious. Can you transport a letter for me?”

“If I had something of hers, sure. I need a hair or an artifact, something with her essence that will guide the spell to its destination.”

Bellamy thought about it, the warden would hold all of her belongings. Unless Clarke had something, but he wasn’t keen on the idea of involving her. “Would you disguise yourself as a guard and deliver the letter by hand?”

“And I suppose you would expect me to find a suitable candidate for the impersonation as well. A suicidal prisoner?” Murphy leaned back against the shelf with folded arms, raising an expectant brow.

There was no one else to ask. He never had his talk with Octavia after the incident last night and none of his other friends would understand. “The execution will most likely take place tonight, you’ll have time to search during the trial. I will forever be in your debt.”

“Do you love her?”

“Clarke?”

“Yes, you’re going through an awful lot of trouble to save a criminal. Surely you must love her.”

“I barely know her. Roan threatened our reign if I don’t save her.”

“So, that’s why you poisoned him? It wasn’t for the fairy?” he challenged, but there was no malice behind it. Murphy saw right through him from the start. “I read in a book once ‘The purest love is sheer, inexplicable magic.’ I have that with Emori, my heart aches to return to her, and I can see it in the way you two look at each other.”

Bellamy had nothing to say to that. He believed in logic, and loving Clarke made no sense at all.

“Okay,” Murphy walked towards him. “Your mind is spinning, grasping at any notion to prove the contrary, let me know when you pass the denial phase. Right now though, write that letter.”

He sat down at the desk, pulled a goose feather from the drawer, and dubbed it in ink.

_Dear Niylah_

_I write this letter in controversy to Island procedure, but its purpose is to save you. You have committed strong crimes against the crown of Fay Grove and will be punished by death unless you do as I ask._

_All I can give is my word, and I’m hoping that will be enough to earn your trust. If I had more time, I could have persuaded you with actions but unfortunately, I have mere hours before your trial. When you return to your cell after the trial, you will find a cloak and a key. There is a passage to the north that leads to a door and a tunnel._

_Follow the tunnel to the ocean rock cavern where you will find a boat packed with supplies. With your crimes, there is no way you will ever be safe on the Island, but you could survive far over the oceans in human countries. You could be free of our strict laws. _

_To gain your freedom, you must not mention your love affair with Lady Clarke in your statement. Please refer to your relationship as a deep friendship. There are rumors of more but your testimony would put an end to them. If you love her, as I assume you do, please allow her this chance at a happy life while you pursue your own?_

_We will take care of the execution as long as you leave your cell door unlocked. The island’s citizens and the crown will presume you dead. No one will follow you. I wish you all the best on your journey across the sea. _

_Sincerest regards,_

_A friend_

Murphy’s eyes scanned the words, his head bobbing with approval. “Will you have time to arrange the boat?”

“No need, I always have a boat at the ready.”

“And what if they go after her?”

“Everyone will think she’s dead. Only Raven and Octavia know about the boat and I’ll explain the situation to them if need be.”

He nodded. “So, once Niylah’s gone I will have to move the willing prisoner to her cell?”

“Yes, but show your face to her when delivering the letter. It would exhibit some trust if she knows you’re involved.” Bellamy narrowed his eyes at Murphy, realizing what he had done for the lowlife magic folk. “Are you doing this to save Niylah?”

“My reasons are none of your concern, your highness. But you can trust me.”

He patted Murphy on the shoulder. “I’ve come to see that. Thank you, Murphy.”

With a heavy heart and his muscles aching with fear, he moved down the hall towards his mother’s office. All he could do now was hope that everything went according to plan. He still couldn’t face Roan after what he had done but he would have to visit soon. For the moment, he could write his absence off to preparations for the trial.

A familiar blond head stood outside the office door as he approached. “Clarke,” he ran to catch up with her, “what’s going on?”

“I’ve come to confess my crimes,” she said, about to knock.

Without thinking, he lifted her up and threw her over his shoulder. Bellamy carried her back to her room while she kicked and slammed her fists into him. He imagined she wanted to scream but it would attract unwanted attention. “Are you out of your mind?” he asked, throwing her down onto her bed.

“No, this has gone on for too long.” Clarke stood with her hands balling into fists. “You almost killed your friend to save me. He’s fine by the way, thank you for your concern.”

“I never meant to hurt him.” Bellamy gave her a warning eye. “You know that. I just needed him to be ill long enough to miss your wedding.”

“Exactly. Well, I’m done with this shit. I’m not worth everyone’s life-risking tactics. Like you said before, I’m a criminal that should be punished.”

“You done?” He glared at her. “I will not let you do this. You do not deserve to die because you acted on a sexual attraction to a fucking beautiful witch. You do not deserve to die because you saved my life and others. Do you think I can stand there and shoot you with a bow, huh? While the crowd roars at the pleasure of your death?”

“No.” She shook her head.

“No, I’d rather kill myself than kill you.”

“Why?”

At a loss for words, he looked at her, mouth agape, trying to find the words to explain why he would take an arrow for her. _You’re a good person. You have a strong mind. You’re selfless. You take actions into your own hands. You’re brave. You’re the most beautiful being I have ever seen._

She pushed a hand against his chest. “Feel this.” Clarke took his hand into hers and placed it on her heart. “My heart beats just like yours.” She closed her eyes and pressed his finger against them, then traced a line over the curve of her nose down to her lips. “I have two eyes, a nose and a mouth, just like you.”

He felt the instant beating of his heart and the tingle in his hands. “What are you doing?”

“You’re fighting it. You’re fighting me. I know you feel it too but you won’t admit it because we’re different, but under the surface, we’re not that different.”

He pulled away and gave her a serious look. “I’m locking you in here until the trial. Don’t you dare try to escape-“

“Or what?”

“Look, I’ve got the Niylah situation under control. We’re setting her free tonight. As long as Roan stays in that hospital for another day or so, they will postpone the wedding. At least that will give us some time to work on a solution. But for now, please, just stay put?”

“I'm falling in love with you,” she suddenly said with her palms pressed to her eyes. “I don’t know why or where or how. But I am. That’s why I can’t marry him. But you can’t save me. If Niylah doesn’t out me, Dr. Jackson will expect a punishment. And if he doesn’t, I’ll have to marry Roan. Don’t you see, you can’t fix it. If this my last chance, I have to tell you.”

“I won’t let that happen. You hear me.” He shook her to get the severity into her stubborn head. “I won’t.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for this.


	11. Half-truths add up to whole lies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this chapter is very short but I will post another one during the week to make up for it. Promise.

All Bellamy could do was hope that Clarke would keep her promise and stay in the room until the start of the trial. Her truth spurred an even bigger fear inside him, one he knew could not be quelled until she was clear of all charges. Everyone at the lunch table had bright beams with the upcoming trial in mind while both his heart and head were thrashing.

The servant who filled their wine glasses handed him a letter. “Your highness, this telegraph just arrived for you.”

“Thank you, Riley.” Bellamy took it from him and hid it in his pocket. He knew it to be Dr. Jackson’s answer on the request and wouldn’t want anyone reading over his shoulder.

“What is that?” his mother asked.

“A bill from Dr. Jackson for lodging and medical treatment. I’ll read it later.”

She nodded and left the subject.

“So, Bell, we never had our discussion last night,” Octavia said, sipping on her wine. “You disappeared without Gina. What happened to you?”

His sort-of girlfriend had completely slipped his mind in his attempt to stop the wedding. “I had a terrible headache,” he lied. “I went to lie down for a while.”

“Are you ill?” Queen Aurora frowned.

All eyes were on him. “No, I’m perfectly fine.” He faked a smile. “I think I just needed some rest after the long and tiring journey.”

Queen Nia and his mother shared a look he couldn’t decipher. Did they know he was lying? Did they suspect he had consumed the same infection Roan had had?

“Well,” Octavia broke his thoughts. “You owe Gina an apology. She was worried about you.”

“You’re right. I’ll go see her as soon as I can.” He then turned to Queen Nia. “Will the wedding continue, your majesty? I assume you won’t have enough time to travel home and get ready for the ceremony.”

She pushed her lips out in an almost pout as if his question was inordinate. “Dr. Santiago has assured me that Roan is well enough to travel. As soon as the trial and sentences are over, we’ll be on our way.”

“So, you’ll travel through the night?” Bellamy frowned.

“It wouldn’t be the first time. We can rest on the way.”

He dreaded that answer. Clarke had given Roan the antidote way too early. He should’ve kept it to himself instead of trying to prove his pure motives to her. She was driving him insane. One moment she cried about her horrible fate and the next she would hinder his plans. “I see,” was all he said.

“We’ll be leaving before dawn,” his mother spoke up. “To make it on time.”

He took a bite of the pork sausage, staring deep into his plate. Would he be able to watch Clarke marry Roan? Unbidden, his jaw clenched, and he lost his appetite. “May I be excused?”

“Sure,” Queen Aurora agreed. “We’ll meet you in court.”

Once he reached the safety of his bedroom to freshen up, he removed the letter from his pocket, hoping beyond all hopes it was good news.

_Your Royal Highness Prince Bellamy_

_Herewith the fees for the services delivered as agreed:_

_Board and lodging 5 coins silver_

_Medical services 8 coins silver_

_I have thought long and hard about your request and have come to a decision. Miller and I have the utmost respect for you since you were the one who suggested the approval of homosexual relationships on the Island at the ripe age of seventeen._

_Because I believe you to be a great judge of character, I trust whomever you trust. The one who saved your life deserves a chance to be saved as well._

_We thank you for your service to this Island and trust you will continue to improve it._

_My sincerest regards_

_Dr. Eric Jackson_

Bellamy gave himself a hypothetical pat on the back for the approval of homosexual relationships. It had just saved Clarke’s life. Now, he was counting on Murphy to ensure Niylah came through, then Clarke would be home free, except for marrying Roan. The only option he had left was to set something on fire during the trial. The anger he would feel should spur enough of his powers to ignite the flowers as it did at the Jaha Palace. Only it wasn’t anger, it was passion, in fact, every time his emotions urged his magic for Clarke. She was the key. Or perhaps love was the key. But then he would have happened with Gina too. In comparison, what he felt for Gina was mere crumbs to the protectiveness he felt toward Clarke.

He splashed his face with cold water to rid him of his current internal war and yanked on a clean shirt. The trial awaited. Since he left lunch early, he had some time and wandered down the stairs, through the courtyard and found Clarke sitting at the waterfall in the center. “Hey, you ready?”

She looked up. “As ready as I’ll ever be. I never thanked you for what you’re doing for Niylah. She’s a good person too, she deserves a good life.”

“I must take your word for it, but I’m not doing this for her. I’m doing it for you.”

“I know,” she said, swirling her hand through the water. “But either way, I’m grateful. Like I said before, the Island is lucky to have a king like you.”

His time was coming and after the horrors he had faced during his journey, he would make a lot of changes. “I hope you’re right,” he smiled.

Together they walked to the courtroom. Clarke walked ahead, smiling at him over her shoulder.

“So, you’re not mad at me anymore?” he asked.

“I never really was. I knew you would never harm him, I acted in a moment of fury, but you’re too good to ever hurt someone on purpose. Besides, he’s fine.”

Bellamy nodded. “Too bad you’re not.”

“I will be. I can’t have you anyway, so I’ll learn to love him as I said. That’s if it gets to that.”

He narrowed his eyes at her in a warning. He despised that she entertained the idea of dying at all. He wanted to tell her about Dr. Jackson’s answer, but he was waiting until after the trial. Once the Niylah situation was out of the way, he would share a glass of champagne with her in celebration and present her with a gift and the good news before their ways parted.

“Clarke, I-”

“There you are.” His mother pulled him back by the arm. “Lady Clarke,” she acknowledged.

“Your majesty.” Clarke bowed, smiling.

Bellamy followed his mother to the front of the room and took a seat next to the throne. When his eyes met Clarke’s in the crowd, he mouthed an ‘I’m sorry’ for his mother’s rude behavior. He then spotted Queen Nia in a gallery seat at the back of the room. Her face looked like she was in deep discomfort and he wondered what game she was playing. He had never had much liking for her, but lately his arm hair rose in her presence.

His mother ordered the court to quiet down and one of the guards brought Niylah in. With her face down and hands tied, she walked toward the accused stand and faced the crowd with a confidence he hadn’t noticed before. Bellamy stared at her, willing her to meet his eye, though she kept her gaze on the spectators.

The bailiff stepped forward, opening a piece of paper. “By the requests of her Royal Majesty Queen Aurora Blake and her Royal Majesty Queen Nia Kingsley the trial of accused Niylah Trader was advanced to today. The respondent has been accused of kidnapping his Royal Highness Prince Roan Kingsley and his betrothed Lady Clarke Griffin.” He then looked to Niylah. “How do you plead?”

“Not guilty.”

Bellamy whipped his head towards her, his eyes widening in shock. _How on earth would she explain herself out of the situation?_

“And how is that?” his mother asked her.

“I was obliged to do so,” she explained.

“By who?”

“Her Royal Majesty Queen Nia.”

Bellamy noticed his mother did not seem the slightest bit surprised by the information.

“It was a test,” Niylah continued. “For Lady Clarke. One she failed miserably.” Niylah looked at Clarke with a repulsed face. “The Queen suspected the woman she had chosen as a suitor for her son was a fraud. She had heard rumors but couldn’t be sure without evidence. So, she approached me to seduce the high lady.”

Bellamy’s chest tightened, it was all an act. His letter to Niylah wouldn’t have help in any regard. She wasn’t guilty of any crime, simply a spy who carried out her duties.

“And you did so?” Queen Aurora asked.

“Yes. I did and the high lady was more than willing to conform. We had a secret affair for weeks. She cried on my shoulder night after night about having to marry into a life she didn’t want. She manipulated me into feeling sorry for her. I believe she wanted me to kill the prince.”

Bellamy's eyes found Clarke’s, and she looked to be just as distraught as he was. Blindsided. He pushed down on the handles of his seat, fighting the urge to jump up and defend her. There was no way Clarke would want Roan dead.

“Go on,” his mother encouraged.

“I reported to the queen, but she told me that no one would believe my word against that of a high lady’s without proof or a witness.” Niylah addressed the people with a wide-open face. “Then we came up with the plan of the kidnapping. She told me to kidnap both of them under the pretense of saving the high lady. She said to take them somewhere where the high lady would be bold enough to show her true colors. To indulge in our relationship and the murder of the prince.”

Frowning, his mother said, “I’m not sure I follow? And why did Queen Nia alert us if the kidnapping was a setup?”

Bellamy wanted to stop her, he didn’t want to hear any more of the blasphemy that filled his ears.

“We needed eyewitnesses.” Niylah took a deep breath, with her eyes sweeping through the audience. “Clarke hid our relationship and her true self from everyone in Fay Grove. So, I gave the prince a potion that would present the symptoms of infection, yet cause no real harm. If she cared about him, she would’ve wanted to save him no matter what but she didn’t. However, I had to find someone to verify my testimony, and with the Island’s prince on our trail, the only option was my cousin’s cave in the forest. As for the reason why her majesty alerted you, she needed it to look real and still ensure that Roan was brought to safety.”

“Miss Trader, from what my son and other informants have told me, Lady Clarke did everything in her power to save the prince?”

“She lied.” Niylah glared at Clarke with a sardonic smirk. “She didn’t really care whether he lived or died until Prince Bellamy and his men showed up. She’s a liar and a manipulator and now my cousin and his wife can attest to that, she even fed them a sedative potion so they couldn’t spill her secrets.”

Clarke’s composure gave nothing away. He thought his ears were deceiving him. She had fooled him into becoming another pawn in her scheme. She used her wits and charm to deceive people into doing her bidding for her. With clenched teeth and flaring nostrils, he stared her down but her face remained neutral.

The trial continued in a blur. Niylah’s cousin and his wife were brought in to verify her statement. They claimed that Clarke was more concerned about Niylah’s safety because the two of them were involved in a romantic relationship. Every word was a betrayal of his heart, everything he was feeling was an utter lie. Dr. Jackson had called him a good judge of character when in fact he was the worst.

Through the fog in his mind came his mother’s final condemning words. “Lady Clarke Griffin of Polis Hollow, you are under arrest for attempted murder and partaking in an interspecies relationship. We will convene the date of your trial, until then, you will be held in custody.”

Everything moved in slow motion. He watched as the guards grabbed her, pulling her away. She looked him in the eye and shook her head. Her hands moved and he could vaguely make out what she was doing. Pointing to her heart and to him, she said ‘I love you’. Even after all the evidence against her, she was still trying to invoke emotion from him. And it did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wtf... right?


	12. Flowers and tobacco

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Early update as promised!

Bellamy had no feeling in his limbs, almost as if he had forgotten how to move. The crowd had cleared and the seats in front of him were empty, save for Octavia, who still sat in her place on the other side of the throne. With the bushwhack he had just experienced, he felt about ready to vomit.

“Bellamy, are you all right?” Came Gabriel’s question in a far off distance of his mind. When he looked up, both the doctor and his sister were standing next to him. “You’re as pale as a ghost.”

“You got any potions that can erase memories, Doc?”

“Bell,” Octavia wiped the hair out of his eyes, “what’s going on with you?”

He didn’t answer her question, he would have, but at that moment he needed to lie down. Could betrayal cause one to become physically ill? Octavia and Gabriel placed an arm around him on either side and walked him to his bedroom as if he were limp. Gabriel offered to take him to the clinic for a check-up, but he brushed it off, saying he only needed some rest. His insides felt like they were collapsing as if someone had fed him a poisonous potion.

“Bellamy,” his sister said, propping up his pillows. “I really think you should have Gabriel look at you. You said you were starting to feel sick last night.”

“Relax, O, if I’m not feeling better by tonight, I’ll go to Gabriel, promise.”

Her eyes conveyed the discomfort she felt with leaving him, nonetheless she said, “Okay, I’m coming to check on you in a few hours, if you’re not better, I’ll carry you to the clinic myself.”

He gave her as much of a smile as he could manage in his condition. “Sure, we need to talk anyway.”

He watched as Octavia closed the door behind her with worry still etched onto her face. Their trail wasn’t cold yet when a puff of smoke appeared in the fireplace and out stepped a frowning Murphy. “Have to say, I didn’t see that one coming.”

“Murphy, if you don’t mind, I need to sleep, I feel terrible.”

“Say, are you really sick or is this a ruse for harboring a broken heart?”

Murphy was an odd character, even though he had learned to trust him, there was something sinister about him. And then something Bellamy had almost forgotten about, hit him. “The potion.”

“What?”

“The fact that I’m ill, could it be the potion?”

A wave of shock crossed Murphy’s face. “You’re really sick then? It can’t be the potion, any side effects would have manifested in the first 48 hours. Besides Emori and I were very meticulous in creating this. I wouldn’t have given it to you if I thought it might be harmful.”

Bellamy narrowed his eyes at the wizard. “Why did you look so shocked then?”

“I think this has something to do with the link you share with the fairy. Her spirits have to be down, they may even be hurting her down there, and now that your bond has been established, you’re feeling her pain.”

Bellamy scoffed. “What?”

Murphy held his hands up in faux-defeat. “It’s just a theory, maybe you’re just sick. Anyway, about the trial, please don’t tell me you believe that bullshit?”

“How could I not believe it? All three stories concurred Clarke manipulated me into saving her. She had no idea that Niylah was a spy.”

“With all due respect, your highness, I thought you were smarter than that. The moment Clarke discovered that you poisoned Roan, she gave him the antidote. Not a few hours later, not the next day, immediately. If she wanted to save herself the trouble of marrying him, she would’ve pretended not to know anything and left him to die.”

Wheels in his head started spinning, the wizard had a point. It didn’t take much convincing though, he may have been blinded for a moment, but in his heart, he knew the real Clarke. “Sure, but what reason did Niylah have to lie? Her contrived relationship with Clarke was reason enough to convict her.”

“Maybe Niylah didn’t lie. Sometimes the mind sees what it wants to see. I’m sure Clarke expressed her concerns for Niylah’s safety, she cares about her after all. And with their prejudice of her wanting Roan dead, they saw it as Clarke not caring about Roan’s life.” Murphy scratched a hand over his forehead, sighing. “Perhaps Clarke thought Niylah was mentally unstable and went along with her plan hoping to save Roan’s life that way. She found herself in an unfamiliar situation, she was scared and perhaps acted rash.”

With a slight nod, Bellamy said, “So you think Niylah told her cousin and his wife about the mission?”

“I’m certain of that, however, the rest are just theories, but one thing bothers me?”

“And that is?”

Murphy pursed his lips. “I’ve never heard of a potion that presents symptoms of infection without causing harm. Niylah even looked through the crowd before she said it, I think she was searching for me. But I witnessed the trial from the doorway since I was still in my guard uniform.”

Bellamy looked down, unsure of what that meant or how that piece of info fitted into the puzzle. “Why would she lie about something like that?”

“That we’ll have to figure out. But first, you need to talk to Clarke.”

“Murphy, my limbs feel like jelly, I can barely move, and you know I can’t go down there.”

The wizard smirked, rolling his eyes. “You share a link with her and it’s time to find out how it works.”

He hadn’t thought of that, then again, he wasn’t a wizard and their creepy magic had always irked him. “Fine, but seeing as you’re still dressed in the guard uniform you stole, would you mind checking on her for me? Maybe sneak in some food?”

With the smirk still in place, he said, “I’m sure she’d rather see you, but I’ll tell her you’re sick.”

“Thank you.”

*********************

His dreams were filled with Clarke - her sapphire eyes, her creamy skin, her contagious spiciness.

_She rode next to him on a horse, laughing happily as they trotted through the woods. Day slowly transformed into night and they packed a circle of rocks in a small clearing for a fire. Clarke used one of her matches to light the bundle of wood while he constructed a tent of coarse fabric._

_When he came out, she was kneeling down, blowing on the fire with her back to him. He crawled toward her and pulled her into him. Clarke giggled softly as she turned around and kissed him. The kissing didn’t stop as he nipped at her chin up to her ear. She shivered slightly and pressed a hand to his cheek._

“Bellamy, Bellamy, wake up!”

“Clarke,” he mumbled.

“No, it’s Octavia.” She ripped the blanket off and ran to the bathroom. A moment later she returned with a wet cloth in her hand and wiped it over his face. “You’re on fire. I’ll go get Gabriel.”

He wanted to stop her, but she was out the door before he could even open his mouth. Both his hands still prickled from the dream and he wondered whether his temperature was because of a virus or the fantasy. As he sat up, he felt much better than he had before the nap. A tray with soup stood on the nightstand, though food wasn’t on his mind. He was hoping to see Murphy to get started with the exploration of his powers and of course he was itching to know how Clarke was holding up. But before he could dwell too long, Octavia returned with Gabriel in tow.

The healer didn’t waste any time, he placed a small thermometer into his mouth and asked, “Do you have any pain or nausea?”

“No, actually I feel perfectly fine now.”

Gabriel removed the instrument from his mouth; his eyes widening as he read the results. He shared a worried look with Octavia and said, “Your fever is higher than I’ve ever seen, you should be unconscious. I think this might have something to do with the potion Murphy gave you.”

While the thought had crossed his mind too, Murphy had given him no reason to believe the potion was harmful. “Murphy assured me it doesn’t.”

“Of course he would say that,” Octavia said, her hands on her hips as she paced in front of the bed.

“I believe him,” Bellamy responded. “So far he’s been there for me through everything.”

“You mind telling me what this ‘everything’ is?”

“Okay, but it stays between us.” He looked to the doctor. “You mind giving us a moment?”

“No, he stays,” Octavia piped up. “Gabriel and I share everything, you can trust him.”

Unsure, he nodded. Octavia loved the man and he could make an effort for her sake. “I have powers, Murphy says it’s more powerful than the magical folk’s, but it’s somehow linked to Lady Clarke. It only comes out when she’s around and she can feel it too.”

“What?” Octavia moved closer, mouth agape. “What sort of powers?”

“So far I’ve only burned things, but we think there might be more to it.”

“Does the high lady have them too?” Gabriel asked.

“I’m not sure. I get a tingle in my hands when they’re activated, and she feels it too, but I’m not sure if she has the power or just me.”

“How did you figure this out?” Octavia asked.

Bellamy told them the story of how they were tied up in the woods when Murphy said he had read about it in an ancient book. He explained how the memory of Clarke’s face came to him in a moment of desperation and how he imagined untying Harper which burnt the rope. He continued to tell them how he discovered that Clarke felt it too and the embarrassing part of setting the couch on fire.

“So, you’re attracted to her?” his sister asked with a resigned expression.

“No,” he slowly shook his head, readying himself for the truth. “I’m falling in love with her, O.” He smiled as the admittance finally came rolling off his tongue after weeks of forcing the lid onto the boiling pot of emotions.

“But she’s a fairy?” Octavia almost shouted her disapproval.

“I thought you were open-minded, O?”

“No, you’re right, sorry.” She turned around with her arms crossed in front of her chest. “It’s just, you’re you, and she’s a criminal.”

“She’s not a criminal. Niylah’s testimony was based on prejudice and bigotry that Queen Nia forced into her head or she lied. But I know Clarke, she slapped me the moment I hurt Roan to stop their wedding, and she saved him again.”

“You hurt Roan?” Octavia spun back around.

Perhaps that was too big a bomb to drop on her, but he needed her to understand the intensity of the situation. “No, not really, I just needed him to be ill long enough to miss their wedding.”

“Bellamy,” she walked over and sat down next to him on the bed, “this isn’t you. What has she done to you?”

“Nothing, I did all of that, she never asked me, but I would do anything for her, O.” He gestured between her and Gabriel. “Surely, you two can understand that. By the way, Mom knows, and she’s not happy.”

Octavia clenched her jaw, swallowing hard. “She does?”

“Uh-huh. But we’ll take care of it, I’ll help you talk to her.” Now understanding the love she shared with Gabriel he would help her make it a reality in any way he could. “Will you help me save Clarke?”

“Bell, I don’t know, this all seems too surreal. What about Gina?”

He still owed her an apology and he would give her one once Clarke was out of the woods. “Look, I can’t be with Clarke. I have to marry Echo. All I want is for her to be safe and happy.”

“Octavia,” Gabriel sat down next to her, taking her hand into his. “Your brother’s right, sometimes there’s simply no logic behind love, but all you know is you’re willing to take an arrow for that person.”

“Think about it, please.” Bellamy squeezed his sister’s shoulder.

“So,” Gabriel interrupted, facing Bellamy. “This power is the reason you’re burning up?”

“I think so,” he nodded.

“I need time to process all of this,” Octavia stood and started for the door.

“Let me know if you feel any worse,” Gabriel said over his shoulder as he followed her. He hoped Gabriel could make her see reason.

Bellamy shook his head at the closed door and made a clicking sound in his cheek. Though he knew Octavia would keep the secret to herself, if she didn’t come around, he might lose his sister. And she was the one person he couldn’t live without. Given her strong reservations against the strict rules and regulations of the crown, he had thought she would be more understanding. A premature assumption indeed. Thinking he might as well get some food into his body, he leaned over to reach for the soup when a knock came from the door. “Come in?” he called.

The door cracked open and a deep alleviation washed over him as Murphy stepped into the room. “You two are the worst.”

“Who?”

“You and Lady Clarke. She’s worried about you while she’s in prison, her own doom be damned.”

The eagerness to know more burned inside him. “Is she okay?”

“She’s fed and has a bed to sleep in. I snuck an apple and a cigarette to her. Poor girl must be dying for some tobacco.”

Bellamy laughed. “Her smoking habits shouldn’t be encouraged Murphy, she’s a lady.”

“She hides that fact well.”

In reality, Clarke wore dresses, and she was female, but her language and manners could often bring savages to blush. He liked her denouncement of the custom even if she never showed it in public. “Guess you’re right.”

“I couldn’t tell her about the powers for fear of being caught, but I told her you’ll be in touch and you’ll get her out. Which of course she wanted to object to, but I didn’t give her the chance.”

Bellamy pulled the blankets off of him and stood. “I had a dream about her, then Octavia woke me because I had a record-high fever.”

Murphy puckered his lips. “I’ve been trying to find a book in the library, but no such book exists. I’ll have to return to Bitty Covert and see if I can find anything in the book that mentioned your powers.”

“No, I need you here. We’ll figure this out. I will try to send her a note.”

“Okay.”

Bellamy sat down at his desk and started writing.

_C_

_I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but we share the tingle you felt in your hand. I don’t know how it works just yet, only that it’s a power that links us together. It’s how the couch burned down. If you receive this, I need you to send it back, concentrate really hard. Think of me. Think of how you feel when I’m around and then imagine I receive it. I can’t go down there, but we can correspond. I hope this works._

_B_

He folded it several times until it was the size of a stamp. Then clamped it into his fist and let his mind drift to her. Weirdly, their dancing came to mind. Without knowing it, that moment symbolized a big change in their relationship. He thought of the way she felt in his arms, the smoothness of her skin and the floral scent of her hair, shaded by a tinge of tobacco. The tickle started up, as well as other parts of his body. He imagined the letter drifting through the air and floating towards her. But then it caught fire and burnt to ashes. Frustrated, he dropped the cinder to the ground, pushed his hands into his eyes and sighed. “This might take a while.”

“It would seem so.”

Bellamy wrote another note, and another, and another. He repeated the action numerous times. Every time he pictured a different scene, reality, and fantasy. And every time the piece of paper would scorch to nothing, yet his hand remained unscathed. After the twentieth try, he gave up and told Murphy they needed a different tactic.

“Pity your mother had removed all of Clarke’s belongings from the room. I’m sure something with her spirit would’ve helped.”

The wizard’s statement gave him an idea. “Maybe I should try to imagine giving it to her in person?”

“What the hell have you been picturing?” He waved his hands in front of his face. “Nope, don’t tell me.”

As he wrote, he felt a touch on his shoulder and turned around, but Murphy was standing by the fireplace on the opposite side of the room. Then lips pressed to his cheeks. _Clarke. _“She kissed me.” He placed a hand on the spot where he felt it.

“What?”

“I felt her lips on my cheek. She kissed me.”

When he opened his hand, there it was, the first letter he had sent. She received it. She received all of them and probably struggled to return them. He pulled out a small piece of charcoal and some paper and transported it to her. Now that she had the hang of it, the reply came within a couple of minutes.

_B_

_Glad to know my mother didn’t have an affair with a wizard. I’m not sure why you even trust me anymore, but I guess if the roles were reversed, I would’ve believed in your innocence too. I need you to let me go. Don’t jeopardize your life and throne for me. I understand it’s hard, it’s only been a few hours and I miss you more than physically possible. I have one final request though, since I can feel your touch with this crazy power we share. Will you fuck me before I die? I want to be with you just once._

_C_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun... Dun... Dun... Are they gonna do it?


	13. A plan with one wild, precious life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update. Life sometimes gets in the way.

Bellamy stared at the blunt request. The offer was tempting, it would certainly be a bizarre experience, touching her without actually touching her. Imagining the things he wanted to do to her, and she would feel it. He frowned, with a hand on his forehead, wondering how the link had pivoted into them being able to feel the other so clearly.

“So, what’d she say?” Murphy whined behind him.

“She wants me to let her go.” He left out the dirty part, trying very hard not to think of the things he wanted to do to her. He was all fucked up.

The door suddenly banged open, squeaking on its hinges until it slammed against the wall. “What the fuck, Bellamy?” came Roan’s question as he stormed into the room with a guilty-looking Octavia behind him. “I thought we were friends?”

Bellamy narrowed his eyes at his sister. “Thanks, O. I told you everything in confidence and you went straight to Roan and blabbered.” He then looked at Roan. “I’m glad to see you’re feeling better.”

Roan lunged forward and pulled his fist back to hit him. Bellamy dodged, but the blow never came as Octavia and Murphy pulled him back. “He fucking poisoned me,” Roan growled, struggling to loosen himself from their grip.

“I’m sorry, okay. I never meant to hurt you. I just needed to stop the wedding.”

“Why?” Roan scoffed. “So you can marry her? Last time I checked you were an elf, and she was a fairy. She’s my fiancé, you bastard.”

“Well, your fiancé will be very dead soon if we don’t save her.”

Roan finally stopped fighting and squared his shoulders. “That’s your fault too. If you haven’t put me in a hospital bed, I would have been able to save her,” he snapped.

“I had everything under control until Niylah blindsided all of us by revealing she works for _your mother._” Bellamy hissed, pointing his finger to Roan’s face. Sure, Roan had every reason to be mad about the poison, but nothing else. He had done everything he could to try and save Clarke.

The Fay prince walked to the window, staring out into the garden. “So, what’s the plan now?” He turned to face Bellamy.

“The same as with Niylah. We use a suicidal criminal to impersonate Clarke and help her escape. Though not over the sea, just to the...” He looked at Octavia, unsure whether he could still trust the one person he had always trusted most. “Safe place.”

Octavia must have picked up on his weariness and said, “Bell, I thought he knew. I went to talk to him about Clarke and he tricked the truth out of me. He had suspicions.”

“And what suspicions might those be?” Bellamy challenged Roan, broad-shouldered with his hands on his hips.

“That you did something to his whiskey,” Octavia answered for him. “And that something was going on between you and Clarke.”

“I told you nothing is going on between me and Clarke,” Bellamy evened his voice, hoping it would calm the current situation enough to plan their strategy. He walked back toward his desk and sat down to hide the note. If anyone of them read it, they would know he was lying. Not completely, but he omitted the fact that they were in love.

Murphy raised his hand as if asking for permission to speak. “Before this goes any further, that plan won’t work. When I was searching for a suitable candidate, there were no fairies down there. Only elves, a few magic folks, and immortals. I cannot turn one creature into another; it will become disastrous.”

“There are a lot of fairy criminals in Fay Grove.” Roan folded his arms against his chest, leaning back against the wall.

Bellamy shook his head. “No time. I’m almost certain Clarke’s trial will be tomorrow. Your mother will want to see her executed before you go home.”

“I have a plan,” Octavia spoke up. “Her cell will be heavily guarded, but we can make sure the guards’ food is loaded with a sedative potion before it leaves the kitchen. I’ll find the key, free her, and we’ll meet you on the beach. We give her a horse and she can escape to this safe place you mentioned.”

“Sedating the guards will work but the rest is too risky,” Bellamy said. “All the guards will be after her if she escapes. She won’t make it ten minutes without getting caught. And if you go down there, everyone will know you helped her escape. Unless...”

“What?” Roan asked, annoyed as if reproving Bellamy’s plan before he voiced it.

“I can send her the key and we hide her. I take her out myself, pretending to follow her.”

The others stared at him. “How do you plan to send her the key and hide her?” Roan snarled.

Bellamy looked to Murphy for backup, knowing they probably won’t believe what he was about to tell them. “We share a link. We can send each other small objects.”

Roan scoffed. “Yeah, right? And I’m an immortal.”

“It’s true. They’ve been communicating,” Murphy piped up, joining their conversation circle. “They share a powerful connection.”

Bellamy nodded his head in thanks. “As for the hiding, she’s tiny, we take a small supply cart and hide her underneath the supplies. No guards will dare question me.”

“And then what?” Roan challenged. “She lives in the cave for the rest of her life?”

“No, then I become king, change the law, and she’ll be free.”

They didn’t argue. There was no time to discuss the matter since they had a ton of work to do. On the list was a sedative potion in the guards’ food, finding the key and readying a cart with a cloak for Clarke to hide in. He scrunched up his nose, already dreading the meeting with his mother in the morning. He would have to sit there and pretend that Clarke’s actions appalled him, feigning relief about her rapid trial and execution. 

All of them agreed on the ideas and each were assigned a task. Given the length of their hefty discussions, Bellamy had completely forgotten about responding to Clarke. Once everyone had left his room, he pinned his attention back on Clarke when another note appeared in his hand.

_Guess that’s a no. Sorry, I misread the signals, and I forgot about your girlfriend. I am such an idiot, shamefully seducing you for my own selfish desires. Anyway, I will see you at the trial. Like I asked before, please make it quick and painless. But just so we’re clear, I never once lied to you. Never. _

He sat down at the desk again and leaned over the paper, propped up by his elbows. He wasn’t sure how to respond to either of her notes. Both were daunting as hell. Despite what he wanted to say, he opted for the facts.

_Clarke, burn this once you’re done. I apologize for the late response, but I had to take care of something. There is no reality in which I would execute you _or_ let my mother do it. You do not deserve to die because you tried to live a little before you were thrown into a pit of doom. But I’m sorry, I can’t give you what you’ve asked for. As you said, I have a girlfriend, even if we’ve never made it official. We will save you though. We’ve got a plan, just follow my instructions as we go along. Sleep well._

With the fairy still strong on his mind, he dashed down the hallway until another note appeared in his hand. He looked around for any Peeping Tom’s before he opened it.

_No, I will not co-operate. I told you to let me go. Dying is better than living a life in darkness and solitude. I committed the crime and I will face the consequences. I understand this is hard for you and Roan. Yes, I know he’s helping you, but you have to accept the reality and move on. You are destined for greatness Bellamy and having me over your head will hold you back. Think of me sometimes. I’ll be watching over you wherever I am. This is my last note, I will not argue with you on the matter any further. Goodbye, Bellamy._

_Fuck, _he stomped a foot on the ground. If she didn’t do her part, they could never save her. With that, he rerouted to Roan’s bedroom. He didn’t bother to knock, just slammed the door open and burst in. “We have a problem.” He handed Roan the note.

Roan’s eyes scanned the words, and he sighed. “Typical Clarke. Where can I find ink and paper?”

Bellamy pointed to the large white desk in the eastern corner. Roan wasted no time, he pulled out the quill and some paper and started scribbling.

“What are you doing?”

“She might not care about her life, but I bet she cares about yours,” he said, handing Bellamy the note. “Now, do your voodoo and get it to her.”

Bellamy read.

_Clarke, it’s Roan. If you do not play by our rules, I’ll tell the Queen that Bellamy knew about your secret. I’m not bluffing, I’m so furious I can kill him with my bare hands._

Bellamy didn’t call his bluff; the anger was written all over Roan’s face. He scrunched the paper into a small ball and imagined giving it to Clarke. There was no reply, so he kept at the preparations for her escape before bed. Since he had a lot of sleep earlier, he wasn’t all that tired and worked well into the night assisting Murphy with the potion and Octavia and Gabriel with readying the cart at the stables. They would pretend that it was already packed for the trip to Fay Grove and taking it with them on a journey into the woods was sensible given their previous predicaments.

*********************

Bellamy eerily traipsed through the square to the courtroom. Just yesterday he was talking to Clarke next to the small fountain, imagining her freedom. And now he was on his way to her trial. He had heard nothing from her and could only hope she would take Roan seriously. Not that he cared about dying for her but he wanted to save her. Even if he felt a strong loyalty toward his people, Octavia would make a phenomenal queen in his absence.

The food was prepared. Murphy would deliver it as soon as the guards brought Clarke back after the trial and steal the key. He felt a sense of déjà vu as he made his way toward his seat next to the throne. Nerves swirled in his stomach and he couldn’t help thinking how nervous Clarke would be. But death alone would stop him from saving her.

Indistinct murmurs filled the room. The place was packed to the point of people standing.

“Ladies and gentlemen.” He heard Monty’s voice. “Please welcome her royal majesty, Queen Aurora.”

His mother’s eyes were trained on him as she approached her throne. Keeping his face blank, he sharpened his shoulders, pretending to be unfazed by the current proceedings. Once she took her seat, she quieted the courtroom, and the bailiff called Clarke in. She spared him no glance, but her anxiety prickled his skin. Even in the rag dress, she overpowered him.

The bailiff took his post as soon as Clarke was settled on the accused stand. “Lady Clarke Griffin, you have been accused of partaking in an interspecies relationship and the attempted murder of his royal highness, Prince Roan Kingsley. How do you plead?”

Clarke held her head up and spoke to the crowd. “Guilty of the interspecies relationship. Not guilty of attempted murder.” Bellamy imagined squeezing her hand, and she relaxed slightly.

“Lady Clarke,” his mother addressed her. “The testimony against you is quite high. Can you explain how you are not guilty?”

“They manipulated my words. Yes, I told Niylah I was scared of marrying into the royal family and a loveless marriage. But my intentions were always to follow through.” Bellamy noticed her gaze now pinned on Roan. “I didn’t know the infection was a ruse. I thought the prince was dying. And I care a great deal about his highness. I would never let him die.” 

Clarke sighed, and he felt the same squeeze in _his_ hand as she centered herself in him from across the room. “But at the same time, I care about Niylah. I thought she had acted rashly in trying to save me. I was trying to keep her safe and figure out a way to save Prince Roan’s life. But they were leading me to admit that I wanted him dead since that was the mission. Unknowing, I played along with their scam because I feared for his life. I thought if I overstepped my bounds, Niylah’s cousin might kill me and that would make Roan expendable too... Until Prince Bellamy showed up and saved us both.”

“And you have no proof to back this up?” Queen Aurora asked.

Bellamy considered glowering at his mother. Clarke’s body language alone proved she was telling the truth.

“No,” Clarke shook her head. “Except that I instantly formed a plan with Prince Bellamy when he showed up.”

The queen nodded. “I see, well, Miss Niylah Trader described that incident as you reverting to the persona you masqueraded in the face of society?”

“She’s wrong. It was a spur-of-the-moment plan to save Roan’s life. Prince Bellamy can agree.”

He didn’t enjoy being dragged into the conversation. He had to remain impartial for their plan to succeed. Luckily, his mother did not ask for his input. “So, are you saying that you do not pretend to be someone you’re not in public?”

“I do to some extent, yes. I’ve been a High Lady since the age of eighteen and I would have been queen soon. Sometimes the pressures became too much for me and I needed a little escape from reality, but I have always taken my responsibilities seriously. My village is flourishing despite our shortcomings.”

Then his mother pulled a shamefully appalled face. “And your relationship with the witch, what do you have to say for yourself?”

“I simply don’t believe in the law. I think we should all be seen as equals. Free to love whoever we wanted.” Again she looked to Roan. “Having an affair was wrong though. I betrayed my commitment, but my intention was to end it before the wedding. In a moment of weakness, I failed, seeing as I was always attracted to women. I’m truly sorry for what I had done to Prince Roan.” Tears slipped in through the heart-wrenching words.

Bellamy watched the interaction between Clarke and Roan intensely, knowing she wasn’t apologizing for Niylah, she was apologizing for falling in love with him. Roan remained stoic; he gave nothing away, though his heart must have been breaking. The girl he loved, loved one of his best friends. Well, ex-best friends.

“Very well, Lady Clarke Griffin of Polis Hollow, I hereby sentence you to death for breaking the interspecies relationship law. Execution will take place at eight pm sharp. Dismissed.”

The crowd cheered, obliging Bellamy to clap his hands as well. He looked at her again. She didn’t need to touch him to touch his heart. Her tears still flowed, and he ached to hold her and wipe them away._ Soon, _he reminded himself. With only three hours at their disposal, the mission was an immediate go.

While waiting for Murphy to deliver him the key, he caught up on some public correspondence. But his mind wouldn’t focus. Once again, the wizard did not fail to deliver. A little more than an hour later, Murphy slipped him the key in passing.

Alone in his office, he wrote her the same instructions on how to escape the prison to the beach behind the palace. He opened his mind and drifted it to her. The tingling had become a part of him now, and Murphy had promised to expand his research on the gift they possessed. He watched as the little piece of curved metal and paper burned to nothing but ash in his hand. Clarke still hadn’t given her go ahead on the plan, but deep inside he knew she wouldn’t fail him.

Everything else was ready, Roan and Octavia would flank him on his quest to find her, hawk-eyeing the cargo in transit. Now it was just time. Bellamy continued his work, with his eyes constantly alternating between the letters in front of him and the clock. When the clock-arms finally revealed it time to go, he grabbed his coat and hurried to the eastern balcony outside where executions took place.

As usual, he took his seat left of the throne which overlooked the execution grounds. Merely a rock platform with a slightly elevated stage in the middle, encompassed by stands that held encouraging crowds. His mother’s entrance was announced and although her face remained resigned, he could swear there was a hint of a smile. _Why does she hate her so much?_

Tapping his fingers on his leg, he waited impatiently for the guards to appear.

“Stop that,” Queen Aurora mumbled under her breath. Octavia turned her head to him and gave a slight encouraging nod.

Since he could no longer move his fingers, he wriggled his toes in anticipation. Any moment now. He waited and waited while the crowd chanted. “Burn Lady Clarke, Burn Lady Clarke.”

Then urgent footsteps on the balcony floor grew louder, revealing a panting prison warden. “Your royal highness, Queen Aurora, it would seem the prisoner has escaped.”

“What? That’s preposterous. How on earth can that happen?”

“The guards around her cell were all found unconscious, and she was gone.”

The queen’s jaw clenched. “Find her,” she snarled through gritted teeth. “Right now.” Bellamy stood and followed the man, but his mother pulled him back to his seat. “Where are you going?”

“I’m going to find her.”

“Sit down, Bellamy. The guards can handle this. It’s not Roan that’s kidnapped, it’s an escaped prisoner.”

“But—”

“I said sit down,” she ordered while still keeping her voice low.

Bellamy’s palms turned to a puddle of sweat and his heart galloped in his ears. The queen stood and moved to the edge of the balcony. With a smooth calmness, she said, “It would seem the prisoner has escaped.” As expected, the crowd roared their disapproval. She gave them a moment’s upheaval before gracefully waving with her hands to silence them. “But I assure you, we will leave no stone on this island unturned until we find her. Come hell or high water, Lady Clarke will pay for her crimes.” Praising fists rose into the air with their favorable cries. “Justice will be served. No one, not even high ladies and lords are above the law,” she shouted, spurring their ridiculous death lusts. But she was a loved yet feared queen after all.

His mother called an urgent meeting once the masses left the ‘stadium’. Yet the only thing on his mind was getting to Clarke. He followed her toward the smaller discussion room where Queen Nia and Roan were already seated with two other people he vaguely recognized. Their eyes were puffy and red. They had to be Clarke’s parents he deduced. Both of them stood and bowed. “A pleasure, your majesty, your highness,” Abby Griffin said.

Bellamy didn’t even want to look at their faces. Where were they when Clarke was kidnapped? Where were they all this time? “Your grace,” he bowed only out of respect.

“Did you have anything to do with Clarke’s disappearance?” his mother asked frankly.

“No, most certainly not,” Abby said. “We arrived shortly before the trial and we went in to say goodbye shortly after. She was scared to death. Pale and shaking, but she was still locked up. Surrounded by guards.”

“Did you even know your daughter was kidnapped?” Roan asked them.

“Roan,” Queen Nia warned. “Lady Abby and Lord Jake were very concerned when they heard the news of the kidnapping. I assured them I had everything under control.”

“Yes,” Lord Jake agreed. “We were eagerly waiting at the palace for your return for the wedding when we received the message of Clarke being arrested. We came as quickly as we could.”

Their answer did not instill any peace in Bellamy’s mind nor in Roan’s, judging by the look on his face. “Perhaps if you paid more attention to your daughter and less attention to your experiments, you would have known the struggles that led her to this situation in the first place,” Roan said.

Clarke’s father looked down, embarrassed, scratching a hand over his forehead. “I knew it scared her. But I assured her it would all be okay. She’s a grown woman now, we can’t make her choices for her. Though we could have helped more...”

Bellamy stayed out of the argument. He was losing an internal battle to bolt through the door. Lady Abby looked up at her husband and squeezed his hand. Guilt lines were carved into his face. The poor man must have been horrified when he received the news, though Roan was right, they could have paid more attention.

“This won’t help us,” his mother spoke up. “Any ideas who could have helped her or where she could have gone.”

He noticed Queen Nia wanted to say something, but closed her mouth again, probably out of respect for Clarke’s parents. Everyone shook their heads.

“Perhaps Niylah helped her after all,” Bellamy suggested, throwing them off course. “I mean she’s a witch, maybe her loyalty shifted from Queen Nia to Clarke with time.”

“That’s a possibility,” his mother agreed. “The only one we have right now. If the guards don’t find her tonight, we’ll reconvene in the morning. Right now I’m taking my tea and turning in.”

Bellamy let out a breath of relief without being obvious. He trailed behind them, masking his eagerness. First, he would wait in his bedroom until the palace turned to slumber. He couldn’t risk his life or Clarke’s by heading straight to the stables. He pulled Roan back as soon as they were all on their separate ways. “Relax, give it a moment or you’ll lead them right to her,” he whispered. Wordlessly, Roan yanked his arm back and disappeared.

En route to his bedroom, Bellamy grabbed a bottle of whiskey and a glass. Liquid courage was a necessity right now. He placed it on the small wooden table in the corner, then removed his coat and threw it on the dresser.

“Hello, Bellamy,” Clarke’s voice said behind him and his smile was automatic when he spun around.

He blinked to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. “How?”

“Octavia and Gabriel helped me. She said to hide in your room and tell you she’s sorry for her little blunder.”

Bellamy chuckled. “I love my sister.”

Clarke ran towards him and threw her arms around his neck. He pulled her close to his heart, burying his head in the crook of her neck. Yes, she crept up on him like a snake in the night and now he had fallen for her. There was no denying.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Clarke's safe and hiding in Bellamy's bedroom. Spoiler alert: Echo is on her way to the palace!


	14. The love rectangle

Clarke pulled back, looking up at him. “So, what happens now? I can’t stay here.”

Bellamy turned around and hurried to the landscape portrait on the east-facing wall. It was the barest part of the room, with no furniture or fireplace or embellishments. He removed the picture and pressed against the wall until it made a click sound and pushed in. It opened onto a passage that led to the woods separating Alpha district from Fay Grove. “You can hide in my room for now. It’s the safest place since everyone is looking for you out there. Once the storm is calm, you can escape through here.”

For a moment they simply stared at each other. Several sentences formed in his head and died in his throat with the way she looked at him. She loved him, he knew that. But their impossible realities still existed. They could never act on their feelings—true love would forever be lost to them. “Thank you,” was all he could utter.

“For what?”

“For co-operating.”

She looked down at her feet, her eyes brimming with tears. He had seen her cry so many times, all he wanted was to see that smile that could light the entire Island. “Roan left me no choice. He’d follow through on his threat, I knew that.”

“Come here.” He pulled her close again. “I’ll fix everything. I’ll find a way, I promise you.” Bellamy held a crooking pinky out to her.

Clarke giggled at the childish gesture, nonetheless hooked her own small finger with his. He smiled at her, watching as their glancing enchantment blew her tears away. His hands tickled to the point of almost burning. His heart ached with the slight distance between them. There should be no space. He wanted to be closer to her than physically possible. He brought his face down, chasing her lips with his own. She turned her face away. “No.”

Bellamy stepped back, cradling his face in his hands with embarrassment. _Gina. _He had momentarily forgotten about her. Shamefully, he strayed toward the bathroom. Inside, he slammed a hand against the tile. Holding on to the sink, he leaned back and huffed in frustration. Sometimes the weight of the crown was too heavy for his shoulders. All he wanted was to be happy with the girl he loved. Fuck, he loved her. Way too early, way too much.

“Bellamy.” She knocked but pushed it open before he answered. “Sorry, I didn’t mean–”

“No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”

“Let’s forget about it,” she said, her voice dripping with melancholy.

“I don’t want to,” he breathed. “That’s the problem, I want us to be real.”

Clarke frowned. “Wait, I don’t understand. You said you didn’t want to be with me?”

“No.” He shook his head. “I said I couldn’t. There’s a difference. He looked up into those aquamarine eyes that seemed slightly glassed over. “I love you too, Clarke. I didn’t want to admit because it’s unnatural and unreasonable, but I do. Fuck, I love you more than I thought possible.”

Her smile wavered, yet spread from one ear to the other as if he had told goose lay golden eggs. “I love you too. I knew you felt it. I can feel you inside me, not just in my hands, but here.” She pulled at his hand and placed it on her heart.

Swiftly, he pulled away. “We can’t be, Clarke.”

She nodded slowly and turned to the door. “I know.”

Once she was gone, he ripped off his clothes and threw them on the floor. Not bothering to pick them up. When he re-entered his bedroom, Clarke had removed her clothes as well. She stood in the middle of the room with only her undergarments that she would wear to bed. At once, Bellamy looked away; the sight drove him wild. He took a deep breath, attempting to calm his heart and growing erection.

“I’d offer to sleep on the ground, but I know you won’t let me, so...” She walked over to the bed and crawled under the covers.

Bellamy locked all the doors and windows, ensuring nobody could get in without permission. He slipped in next to her. Staying on the far right side of the bed, he turned his back on Clarke and stared at the wall. Though she burned in proximity. It would be so easy to reach out and touch her, to kiss her and fuck her. Instead, he closed his eyes and drifted into a deep abyss of dreams. Most of them filled with his desire for her.

*********************

Even though his mother would scold the behavior, Bellamy bit at his nails. He had skipped breakfast and the morning meeting as well. In all honesty, it was to avoid the queen. Yes, he would be reprimanded as soon as he returned to Sanctum, but one problem at a time. After giving Clarke the stay-out-of-sight lecture this morning, he had asked Octavia to take care of her and hopped in a carriage to Martin Village for his long-overdue discussion with Gina.

He hadn’t sent any notice of the visit and hoped not to arrive at dead-man’s-door. The mere hour-and-a half’s drive felt like an eternity for two reasons. One, the discussion with Gina and two, the discussion with Gina. He needed to end their ‘relationship’ as soon as possible, though he would be breaking her heart. The carriage came to a stop in front of their estate. His driver opened the door, and Bellamy stepped out, removing his hat.

Right now, he didn’t feel like wearing the prince posture, yet in public it was expected. A brash, confident walk down the path to the front door. Over the last few weeks, his life had turned from sensational to wretched. Where he used to love striding this path, it now felt like a route to doomsday. A guard bowed his head and opened the gate where their steward met him.

“A pleasure as always, your royal highness.” He bowed. “Miss Gina is out in the garden, shall I call her or would you like to join her?”

Great, their favorite place. He would break her heart in their favorite place. “Thank you, Mr. Shumway. I think I’ll join her.”

Hat in hand, he plodded outside. Gina sat on a blanket between the rose bushes with her nose in a book. She looked up as his shadow abolished her scanty bit of sun. “Bellamy?”

“May I join you?”

“The prince can probably do as he pleases,” she said with a derogatory tone.

“You’re mad at me,” he noted.

Her face remained indifferent. “No, I feel like you’re a different person. An imposter. I even considered that a wizard had cast a spell on you.”

Bellamy sat down next to her. “My mother had chosen my wife, and it’s not you.”

“What?” She looked up; eyes vast with shock. “But, everyone thought... I mean she knew about us. Who is it?”

“Echo Azgeda. I don’t know why Gina. But we always knew this day would come.”

Gina placed her book on the blanket and turned to face him. “Is that why you were so distant? Why you disappeared without a word?”

“That’s part of it, yes.” He couldn’t tell her the real reason. “And I felt very ill. Sorry for not telling you.”

“Can’t you object to it?”

He gave her a crooked sympathetic smile. “You thought she would choose you? You and me, it became your reality, your future?”

“Well, didn’t you?”

He shook his head. Bellamy had hoped, but he never would have bet money on it. “No, I knew there was a big chance she wouldn’t choose you. My mother always does what’s best for the kingdom first and foremost.”

Tears slipped out of her eyes; she sniffled which led to full-on crying. It broke his heart. “I’m so sorry.” He pulled her closer, tucking her head under his chin. Bellamy rubbed slow circles into her back while she sobbed in his arms. The usual tingle in his hand became a burning sensation, not the passionate kind he shared with Clarke. An uncomfortable sting.

“It’s... not... fair,” she lamented between quiet sniffs. “I love you.”

“I know.” He continued to comfort her. It wasn’t fair at all, then again life wasn’t fair.

“Bellamy.” She looked up, her dark eyes boring into his own. “Why aren’t you more upset about this?”

“I’ve had a chance to process it,” he lied. “I was just as rattled when she first told me, but I prepared myself for it.”

Gina nodded. “You did always guard your heart. Now I understand why you never truly gave it to me.”

_I don’t think it was ever mine to give. _“Gina, what we had was special. Don’t ever underestimate it. You are an amazing woman and a part of me will always love you.”

“That’s the problem, you never fully let yourself love me. You tried, but something always held you back. I thought it was your duty to the Island and that things would change when we got engaged, yet you always knew the queen wouldn’t choose me.”

“Maybe you’re right.” He swallowed hard, realizing the truth in her statement. “Maybe I subconsciously knew.”

Gina pulled back and rose to her feet. She held out her hand and helped him up. Without looking at him, she weaved her arms around him. “Goodbye, Bellamy.” Her voice cracked.

“Goodbye, Gina. You will find your Prince Charming, I’m certain of that.”

She aimed for a grin, but another wave of tears pulled it askew. With a gentle touch, he wiped them away and pecked her lips. “You’re strong, you’ll be fine. I promise.”

*********************

Back at the palace, Bellamy held his head high as he stepped inside. Home had become somewhat of an internal war-zone for him. He looked around at the gleaming wooden surfaces, complete with lavish furniture and art. It all meant nothing without her. A simple life in a small cave with Clarke made more sense than all the wealth and power in the world.

“Bellamy,” Monty greeted on his way to the kitchen. “Your mother is in the tearoom, you better get your ass in there. What the hell is going on with you, man?”

“On a scale of one to ten, how mad is she?”

“A twenty. Just go.”

Sighing, he spun on his heel toward the tearoom. Excuse prepared, he straightened his shoulders and lifted his head. But as he stepped inside, his mother wore a gracious smile. Her dark eyes twinkling. Then he noticed the reason for her good mood; the person sitting across from her was Echo.

“Bellamy.” She waved him inside. “You’re just in time for tea.”

Echo stood and arched her neck. “Your highness. Good to see you again.”

He mimicked her action out of respect. Inwardly, he was ready to run for the hills. “Milady.”

They all sat down. “So, as I explained.” His mother led the conversation. “We have quite the situation on our hands right now. One of the prisoners has escaped. The guards are scouring the woods for her, but she has many accomplices. I think it could be a marvelous first project for the two of you to solve.”

“Of course.” Echo smiled politely while Bellamy simply nodded.

“Echo is highly skilled.” Queen Aurora said.

“So, I’ve heard.” Bellamy forced a smile.

Echo looked uncomfortable. While Bellamy noticed her trained high lady front, he could read the tension in her face and shoulders.

“Relax.” His mother sipped at her tea. “In public we might appear intimidating. At home, we call each other by name and we’re quite close-knit. Even with some of our staff. Monty, Harper and Raven."

“And Gabriel,” Bellamy added. “He’s our healer. Monty is the royal advisor. Harper the stewardess and Raven takes care of the maintenance.”

“We’ve met. They all seem like good people.”

“Oh, they’re the best,” the queen bragged, waving a hand in the air. “And so are you, that’s why you’re here.”

“Thank you.” Echo’s face turned beat-red while Bellamy’s mouth went bone-dry. “It’s an honor.”

“You’ll make a fantastic queen, my dear. Bellamy can show you around the palace after tea. I have assigned a handmaiden to you. Please do not follow his example and slip them whenever possible.” She sent him a humorous glare. “Take a day to settle in. You will start attending meetings from tomorrow morning, but your handmaidens have your schedule. Bellamy can take you on a date tomorrow when you have some time off.” 

“We’re going out to hunt this afternoon, would you like to join us?”

The queen sent him a pleasant smile. “Yes, in Sanctum we see men and women as equals. My daughter attended her first hunting trip at the age of twelve. She also trains a segment of our army.”

“I would love to, your highness.”

“Please, call me Bellamy. We’ll be engaged soon.” His hand burnt again as he said the word like it could sense he was betraying his feelings for Clarke.

Echo relaxed in her seat and nodded, smiling. “Very well, Bellamy. My late father had the same beliefs. I was taught to hunt and trained in battle from a young age.”

“Oh, I know. Your father was a wonderful man. A fierce leader and he taught you well.”

As the conversation wore on, the more Bellamy realized why his mother had chosen Echo. She was strong, ruthless and well-trained. He also sensed that the future queen would be her protégé, she would mold and shape Echo to become her. In all honesty, he couldn’t fault his mother for the decision, she did what was best for her people. He liked Echo, there was no attraction or chemistry, but at least he enjoyed her company. A small ray of hope in his bleak future. But as he was raised, you put the Island before yourself. Saving Clarke was his only betrayal of the vow he would take not long from now.

After tea, he linked his arm with Echo’s and gave her a tour of the palace. At least there was never a dull moment. Conversation between them wasn’t forced, it flowed easily and naturally. He showed her all the marvels, spending a second too long in his favorite spots. The garden, which was no longer covered in snow, the library and the entertainment room. Echo sat down at the piano and played a melody she had created herself. It appeared the high lady had many hidden talents. During their hunting trip, she shot a deer with accuracy that even Octavia praised.

“It seems like you two are hitting it off,” Octavia whispered on their way back to the palace.

“Yes, she’s nice.”

“Good, I’m glad. I mean I know you have these feelings for Clarke, but she’ll be gone soon. And maybe you can move on.”

“Maybe.” He looked away with the lie. Echo would never even come close to her. The thought of getting back to Clarke was the only thing that kept him going all day. Her face constantly loitered his thoughts. She was a magnet, pulling him closer and all he wanted was to hold her in his arms.

They hassled home to ready in time for dinner. A weight lifted from his shoulders as he neared the palace, knowing he would see Clarke soon. Bellamy sped his horse ahead, no longer able to contain the excitement. He returned the stallion to the stables and used the back entrance to his room. Perhaps it was slightly insulting to leave Echo with the others, yet she seemed like a capable woman who would find her way around.

Bellamy unlocked the door, his heart bouncing with eager. He pushed it open, wondering where she had hidden all day. “Clarke,” he whispered and watched as the hidden door pushed open. She stepped out, clad in a red dress with a low slit between her breasts that puffed out below them. Octavia’s handiwork no doubt. Although Octavia didn’t like dresses, she outdid herself when she had to wear them. And Clarke’s outfit was no different. His hands tingled with the thought of ripping it off. She felt it too with the way her cheeks turned crimson.

They rushed toward each other. Lips on lips. By the back of her neck, he pulled her closer. This wasn’t the way he imagined their first kiss. He envisioned slow and sensual, this was passionate and sloppy. Teeth clattering with a hunger long in the making. “Fuck, I missed you,” he breathed in between the mating of their tongues.

“Shut up and fuck me.”

His primal instincts took over. He pulled at the strings that held the top part of her dress together, licking his lips as the fabric loosened and revealed her velvet, milky skin.

“Wait.” She pushed him back. “You ended things with Gina, right?”

“Yes, but Echo arrived today. So, I was single for about an hour.” Saliva dripped from his mouth as he spoke and he moved forward again. Desperate to feel her. She didn’t object when their lips found each other; he knew she needed him as much as he did her.

  
“So,” she puffed. “We’re having a love affair now?”

“Fuck, I don’t care.” He kissed from her ear, down her neck to the part of her breasts the corset exposed. At once, he spun her around, needing to taste her nipples. He ripped at the too many strings while his lips savored the taste of the skin around her shoulders. The corset fell to the ground and he slowly turned her back, raking his eyes over her nakedness.

She looked down with a tinge of pink in her cheeks. “Damn, that feels so much better. My wings have been aching under that thing.”

Bellamy raised a brow. “Fairies don’t wear corsets?”

“No, we have special underwear with wires to hold our lady-parts in place.”

“Huh.” Her full breasts were a beauty he’d never experienced before. He reached out to touch them when his eyes landed on hers, ostensibly innocent.

“Full disclosure, I’ve never done this before.”

“What?”

“With a man, I mean. I’m not as bad as people make me out to be.”

He clasped her right breast in his hand, flicking the hard pink nipple between his fingers. “Then we can’t do this now. I’m expected at dinner, we don’t have much time.”

“Will it hurt?” she asked through fluttering eyelids.

“Yes, but if we take it slow, it might ease the pain.”

“I really want to. The things I’m feeling... I can’t even describe.”

He bent down and kissed her, soft and slow. What should have been their first kiss. “Later tonight, I promise. We can take our time.” He cupped her cheek, then tilted her chin up to look at him. “I love you.”

At that, the smile that he loved so much appeared. “I love you, too. Can’t wait for tonight.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, right?


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for vanishing from the face of the earth but the last few months have been super busy. Anyway, I tried to snuck in some time to write the last few weeks. Here's the next chapter. It's full of smut and tooth-rotting fluff to make up for the wait, but prepare yourselves, this is the calm before the storm.

Dinner stretched like a long worn-out slingshot rubber. Conversations mulled and blended together as if he was watching a far-off play. The salmon, usually his favorite was tasteless after his kiss with Clarke. She was the only thing on his mind. His whole world was suddenly an unsolved riddle and she the only thing that made sense.

Every so often, he noticed Echo glancing his way. Perfect and poised with the way her polished fingernails clasped the goblet. Her lips full and red, her cheeks slightly blushed from the wine. She was in every aspect the epitome of the Island’s future queen. But it made him feel nothing except hatred. Why couldn’t Clarke be the one sitting across from him at the table? Why did she have to be punished for crimes so insignificant a bird had committed worse.

When would the damn dinner end? Every time he thought it was over, another conversation sparked to life and the wine goblets were filled and another course appeared in the middle of the table. The boat was still in the cave, he could take Clarke and sail the seas and live a long and happy life with her. No, she wouldn’t. Like she had said before, there was no place for fairies and elves in the human realms. They would have to sail forever.

He took the last sip of dessert wine and pushed back his chair. “Thank you for dinner. Lady Echo, would you like me to escort you to your quarters?”

“Yes, thank you.” She wiped her mouth with the napkin. “This was lovely, your Majesty. Thank you very much.”

“The pleasure’s all mine.” The queen’s smile was full and genuine.

Their long walk through the corridors to the sleeping chambers was silent and awkward. It lasted until they reached her door. “Thank you for walking me.”

“Of course. Are you settling in okay?”

“Yes, thank you.” She turned the doorknob, looked back at him. “What’s bothering you? Is it me?”

“No, no, I simply have a lot on my mind. Sleep well.”

She leaned forward, pressed a chaste kiss to his cheek. “Sleep well, Bellamy.”

Once she had disappeared into the room, he rubbed at his cheek, certain Clarke would be able to feel it. Or at least sense it. He still wasn’t exactly sure how the link worked. He ambled back to his room, trying to contain the excitement that stirred within him. This was it, this was their night, their time, finally.

He paused in front of the door, combing a hand through his hair and neatening his clothes. Not that it was necessary. He turned the knob and pushed the door with a sudden nervousness that hit like those thieves from the trees. Inside, he removed his jacket, then opened the hidden door to find her still in her slip, glaring slightly. He frowned.

“She kissed you, didn’t she?”

“Sorry, I thought you might feel that.”

“It burned my skin.”

He smiled. “We’ll never be able to be unfaithful.”

Her glare grew deeper and wilder. “This is no way funny, Bellamy. You’re to marry this woman, you’ll have to sleep with her while my skin is on fire with your betrayal.”

He hadn’t thought about that, but his answer was simple. “I’ll never allow her to touch me again. I’ll explain to her that our relationship is purely political and that I’m not interested in anything physical.”

Clarke shook her head. “You’ll never pull it off, but I don’t feel like arguing about it now.”

“Me neither.” He moved closer, pulling her toward him. Their lips brushed as gentle as the first tingle they’d experienced. “But I like the jealousy.”

“Shut up.” She moved her lips against his and he could feel his own body heat rising. She opened her mouth to give him access and soon their kiss grew deep and fervent. A stronger need and profound desire for her erupted inside him.

He pushed the material down her shoulders, laying sloppy kisses at its tail until it dropped to the ground and she was completely naked in front of him. Bellamy wanted to comment on her beauty and the softness of her skin, but his brain was suddenly frozen, and his lips could no longer form a sentence.

Clarke sent him a shy smile, bent down to unbutton his petticoat and shirt. Gently she slipped it from his arms, trailing her hands over his chest. Her touch was warm and possessive. He grabbed one of them and brought it to his lips. “I can’t believe we’re here, can’t believe you’re mine.”

“I know.” She pressed her lips to his, slow and sensational. Never before had he experienced such a perfect moment. His heart would not stop thumping.

As their kissing continued, her hands found the button on his knickers. He helped her remove his pants and underwear until they were both naked with only the fire and each other for heat. He took her hand and pulled her toward the bed, then opened the covers and gestured for her to get in. She pulled him with her as she lay down and he happily obliged.

They kissed for another few moments until his mouth wandered south toward her rosy nipples. She moaned in delight as his tongue danced across the sensitive buds. “Shh. These walls are thick, but I don’t want to chance it.”

“Sorry, can’t help it. It feels too good.”

He couldn’t help the smile at that, yet wanted to make her feel even better. So, he moved further down her body, pausing at her navel until his lips finally found its true destination. He licked into her folds until her body squirmed with desire, then pushed two fingers into her opening while sucking at her clit. It wasn’t long until she started pulsing around him letting out soft moans of pleasure.

Bellamy couldn’t hold back his own need any longer, he snapped back up to kiss her, deep and dirty. He lined himself up with her entrance.

“You’re good.” Clarke smiled her admission and he entered her gently. It felt soft and warm and perfect inside her, too good for any words to explain. She gave no sign of pain or discomfort, and he took that as his queue to move. Being inside Lady Clarke Griffin was like waking up after a deep sleep and realizing everything in the world had fallen into place.

He could see the struggle on her face to stay quiet and it took everything inside him not to roar his own pleasure. He didn’t pick up the pace though, they moved with each other in a steady rhythm.

“My wings,” she said, “they’re aching to be freed.”

He frowned, not understanding, nonetheless flipped them around. Her wings opened up once she started to move on top of him and it glowed even more than the night he followed her into the woods. Too soon she writhed on top of him, gasping as she hit another high. The feeling was too sensational and his own orgasmed followed straight after.

She collapsed into his chest. “I can’t explain how amazing that was.”

“Me neither.” He looked away as the reality of the situation hit.

“What’s wrong?” She pulled his face back to look at her, cupped his cheek with a concerned hand.

“You have to go soon.”

“I know, but let’s make the best of tonight.”

They made love for hours that night, barely coming up for air. Each time better than the last. He had no idea where the stamina came from but neither of them wanted to stop. To in love and caught up in each other to even consider it. Their time to part would come way too soon to waste a second.

*********************

He woke with her in his arms. Despite the dreaded day ahead, he couldn’t stop smiling. He kissed her forehead and whispered, “I love you,” into her ear.

“I love you too,” she groaned, obviously not ready to wake up. They didn’t get a lot of sleep.

He moved to stand but she pulled him back. “Just stay for five more minutes.”

“Okay.” He kissed the top of her hair, stroking her arms. They lay together in silence as he thought about the unfairness of the situation. But until he was king there was nothing he could do about any of it and in order to become king, he would have to marry Lady Echo. Probably consummate their marriage while Clarke’s skin would burn with his betrayal. As she said.

“I can hear you thinking.”

“Really?” His eyes widened.

“No, I don’t mean I can literally hear your thoughts, but I can hear the dread in your sighs.”

“Sorry, I’m just not ready to let you go.”

She didn’t say anything, the situation must be much worse for her, knowing she would have to live in a cave like a savage in hiding while he spent his days in a palace with another woman. He wished he could turn the tables and take her place but there was nothing to be done. Instead, he dragged himself out of bed, got cleaned up and ready while she followed him in grim silence.

He kissed her goodbye, it lasted longer than a normal goodbye kiss. A knock on the door finally broke them apart. “My itinerary has arrived.”

She giggled at his eyeroll, stepping into the hidden passage.

*********************

Bellamy wasn’t surprised to see Echo at the morning meeting, though the queen hadn’t arrived yet. “Morning,” he greeted, “did you sleep well?”

“Morning. Very well, thank you.”

He poured himself a cup of tea and was about to offer Echo when he noticed the cup in front of her. He racked his brain for something to say and finally settled on “How are things in Azgeda Village?”

“Good, peaceful.”

“That’s good.” Followed by complete silence. He was relieved by his mother’s entrance before he noticed the solemn expression in her eyes. “Mother, what’s wrong?”

“The guards have scoured every inch of these woods and the palace grounds, there’s no sign of the prisoner. Queen Nia will not be pleased, and neither am I.”

He ground his teeth, not ready for Clarke to be the first order of business. “Perhaps she sought refuge.”

“She must have, we’ll have to go door to door.”

“Let me go, Mother. It will be easier.”

“No, I need you here. Octavia will lead a scout team. They will leave tomorrow at first light.”

He nodded, if it wasn’t him, Octavia was the next best choice. She would ensure Clarke was safely tucked away. “Okay.”

His mother gave him a suspicious look before moving on to the next item. They discussed the safety of the city and trades with other kingdoms, much sounder topics. Echo didn’t contribute much but she observed and took notes as they went along. Eager to learn it would seem.

As the meeting concluded, he rose to his feet before Aurora gestured for him to sit back down. “I’ve arranged a date for the two of you.” She gestured between them. “You will be taken on a picnic this afternoon followed by a carriage ride through the city at dusk and a romantic dinner at an elite cafe.”

He pursed his lips in an attempt to hide his negative thoughts. “Isn’t it too cold for a picnic?”

“Three o’clock sharp.” His mother glowered and he noticed Echo trying to contain a grin.

He went about his duties and training, watching as the hours flew by until it was time to ready himself for the dreaded date. At least it gave him the chance to be frank with Echo.

Clarke kept staring as he dressed for the occasion. “I don’t like this one bit.”

“Neither do I, but I have to follow orders.”

“Are you going to tell her about me?”

“No.” He would never risk it. “But I will tell her that I have no plans for any romantic relationship.”

“Good.”

“You’re so cute when you’re possessive.”

She rolled her eyes, brushed the statement off. “Just know that I’ll know when the two of you become handsy and affectionate and that will mean no good time on our last night together.”

He scooped her into his arms. “I wouldn’t dare.”

And he kept his promise. When Echo reached for his hand on the way to the picnic, he pulled it away. When they arrived, a table was set with cheese, olives, fruits and cold meats. Being a gentleman, he helped her out of the carriage and escorted her to the table overlooking a frozen lake. The snow had cleared, though the cold still lingered in the air. Both of them wore fleecy topcoats to stay warm.

He pulled out her chair, took his own seat and wished he shared this beautiful moment with someone else. Without much heart, he asked Echo about her childhood and their village, he sympathized with her parents’ deaths. They touched all obligatory topics until it was time for the tour.

On the route, he pointed out his favorite café’s, the library, the theatre, the best bread and fruit in the market, the museum and everything else that held significance. As soon as they sat down at the dinner table, skillfully decorated with roses, champagne and candles he decided it time to share the bad news. He waited until the waitron was out of earshot. “Echo, you have to understand this arrangement is purely political from my side.”

She looked away, stared at the empty tables around them. “So, you won’t even try to give us a chance?”

“No,” he swayed the word like it would make any difference. “I have no interest in pursuing a romantic relationship. I will attend dates, work with you as team member in our kingdom, I’ll marry you and appear happy in public but that will be the extent of our partnership.”

“Look, this isn’t easy for me either. I don’t know you, but I can’t think of anything worse than spending my life with someone I don’t love.” 

“Think of it as a business transaction. You will become high queen after all”

“Bellamy, if you got to know me, you might notice you enjoy my company. And the more time we spend together, who knows, we might actually fall in love. Don’t you think that would make life for both of us so much easier.”

“That will never happen.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because in my heart, I’m married to someone else.” This time he looked away; he couldn’t meet her eye.

“I won’t stop trying,” she said with finality. “I was forced into this as much as you were, and even if you’re not willing to, I’ll continue to try making the best of a bad situation.”

Luckily the waitron interrupted them with hors d oeuvres since he had nothing to say to that. She would be wasting her time and energy till the end of days in pursuing a heart that was no longer his to give. 

*********************

“How was it?” Clarke asked, escaping her hiding spot.

“Terrible, I wished it was you the whole time.”

“Right answer.” She surged forward and molded their lips together. After a way too short kiss, she leaned back for a moment of air. “I missed you. Did you notice how painful it is to miss you.”

“That I did. Echo won’t have any of it, she says it only makes sense to try.”

Clarke walked over to the bed, sat down. Her excitement suddenly replaced by sorrow. “She’s right, isn’t she?”

“I can’t even if I tried,” he told her as he sat down next to her, folding their hands together. “What we have is more real than anything I’ve ever experienced. You flew in with the force of a tornado and thrashed everything inside me. The moment I realized what it was, the chaos shifted into perfect formation. This bond, Clarke, it’s not nothing, it’s everything.”

“I’m simply a disruption of your perfect little life.” A tear slipped out of her eye.

He couldn’t argue with that. “Perhaps, but it’s a disruption that I want, that I chose, that I need.”

She moved forward, kissed him again and pretty soon they were unclothed. Like the previous night, he didn’t rush it, it was their last night together. Soon Octavia would come to hide her in a supply cart to get her out into the woods unseen. He savored every thrust into her, explored every inch of skin for his memory, and soothed every doubt inside of her. When time was almost up, he picked up the pace slightly and fucked her while rubbing her clit to make sure she gets one last splash of pleasure.

He helped her dress, knowing Octavia was already waiting. He could feel the cracks in his heart and heard the sniffles in her nose as she lifted her hair so he could tie her corset. “Goodbye, Bellamy.” She pecked his lips for the final time.

“We’ll talk every night and we’ll do this, you know, because we can feel each other.”

“I’m scared.”

“You’re strong, you’ll be fine. I’ve got something for you.”

She gave a bare hint of a smile and took the small box from him. Opened it to find a few rolled cigarettes inside. “Thank you.”

He nodded, not able to form any words and she disappeared down the hidden passage. Their parting left a physical pain in its wake. He crumpled to the ground and cried like grown men shouldn’t. Bellamy didn’t care, he let out the fear for her, the hurt, the pain. Everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed it, like I said, the calm before the storm...

**Author's Note:**

> What did you think? Weird, crazy? I'll post a map of the Island which my sister made for me on Tumblr, so you can go and have a look there, it's more important in the next chapters. Thank you for reading, as always comments and Kudos are highly appreciated. You can find me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/girlobsessed21) or [Tumblr](https://girlobsessed21.tumblr.com/).


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